Beginnings My passion for Irish Traditional Music began around 1970. My close friends, Davie Wylde, Davy Graham, Charlie Gray, Dick Hogg, and I were all raised in Bangor, County Down. Our mentor Johnny Johnston, had also been raised in Bangor, but spent much of his childhood in the Mourne Mountains. He was a keen hill walker, so whilst he and his wife Anne lived in Bangor, they also had a small cottage in the Mournes. As a result, Davie, Davy, Charlie, Dick, and I rented a derelict house up the lane from Johnny’s. Above Johnny Johnston by the fire in his cottage down a long lane from the Kinnahalla Road, Stang 1976. Denis Reynolds is on the right. Above Wood's Yard, Kinnahalla Road, Stang 1973. Dick Hogg, Des Finlay, Mark Lomas, Davy Graham, Davie Wylde, Charlie Gray & Nigel Boullier. Johnny was a keen ballad singer and Irish dancer. He played the guitar and regularly invited his friend Ernie Swain down to his cottage at weekends. Ernie initially played the banjo, however he quickly moved to the fiddle. In the Mourne environment we all started playing traditional music – Davie the mandolin then the fiddle, Davy the guitar then the mandola, Charlie the guitar, Dick the tin whistle and I the tenor banjo. We started playing in the Saturday night session in Peter Doran’s, the Mourne View Bar, a couple of miles east of Hilltown and later in Tommy John McKay’s Bar beside the Square in Hilltown. Right; Stang, Clonduff 1976 Top Row - Denise Russel, George Russell, Davie Wylde, Charlie Gray Sitting - Dianna Skillen, Nigel Boullier, Ernie Swain, Davy Graham, Julian Friers. Back in Bangor, Davie, Davy and I played regularly in local sessions; Fealty’s Bar in Bangor and Finnegan’s Bar in Kircubbin. The sessions were a mixture of ballads and a few well-known tunes. Around Easter 1974 we were playing in a session in Finnegan’s with Joe Mullan (singer and banjo player), Stevie Egan (fiddle player) and Johnny Muir (singer, harmonica and bones player) when we met Geordie McAdam and Stanley Mooney. Geordie and Stanley had been playing regularly as a duet (fiddle and B/C accordion) and suggested that, since we were primarily interested in Irish Traditional dance tunes, we should go to the predominantly fiddle sessions in the Castle Inn, Comber and Balloo House. The many reels, jigs and hornpipes that we learned in Margaret’s (the Castle Inn) and Balloo stood us in good stead when we started going to the fleadhs in forthcoming years . In July 1975 we met up with four musicians in Fealty’s; Dianna and Norman Skillen, siblings who played tin whistles (Norman is also a singer), Julian Friers played whistle and flute, and George Russell the bodhran. Although they hailed from Bangor we had never met. We started meeting weekly on Friday evenings; the Fealty’s session commenced and although the session has changed over the decades it continued for 47 years. Dianna started playing fiddle soon after our all meeting up. Right Charlie Ferguson (flute), Davie Wylde (fiddle), Nigel Boullier (banjo), George Russell (bodhran), Davy Graham (guitar), Dianna Skillen (fiddle), Julian Friers (whistle/flute) Bangor - New Year's Eve 1975 By 1976 I had realised that the Comber and Balloo sessions were unique; many of the dance tunes played, such as various types of schottisches, polkas, quadrille tunes, strathspeys and mazurkas, had been long lost from the mainstream repertoire in Irish Traditional Music sessions. These tunes had been introduced by the mainstay of the session, Jackie Donnan. Jackie, from Shrigley outside Killyleagh, had learned much of his music locally in the late 1940’s and 1950’s from dance music fiddle players such as Toye William Savage and Willie McCloy. From this point I started collecting any information relating to the local style of fiddle playing; fiddlers’ lore, fiddle tunes and the crucial relationship (in terms of County Down) between the fiddle playing and the local dancing culture. On New Year’s Day 1993 Gerry O’Connor and I spent a quiet afternoon playing tunes with Jackie at his home in Shrigley. It was then that I decided to play the fiddle. So after playing the banjo with Jackie for 19 years, we then started playing the fiddles together at least once a week until his death in 2007. We travelled locally, meeting and playing tunes with fiddlers. This refreshed my interest in the fiddle culture and opened up more avenues for research. In 1996 Jackie and I started playing for the weekly dance in Greyabbey Village Hall; this finally stopped in 2016. In the period after Jackie's death in 2007 Willie Lindsay joined me at the dance in an effort to keep the twin fiddle tradition alive. Nigel Boullier & Jackie Donnan, Greyabbey Village Hall, 2002 Right; Jim Moore, Moybrick, 2004 Around 1998 I called in with Jim Moore, a fiddle player from Dromara. Whereas Jackie had played with Willie Savage and Willie McCloy in the late 1940s and early 1950s around Killyleagh, Jim had learnt his music from Sammy Thompson and Robbie Chambers in the 1930s around Dromara. Although the two districts were less than twenty miles apart Jim had, to large extent, a different repertoire of tunes for largely the same dances. Jim and I played fiddles together weekly for about 10 years.

Seamus Sands These audio clips were recorded by Seamus Sands for his albums Across Bridges , 2015 and A Deep Pool , 2018 and are presented here with his kind permission. The explanatory notes are taken from the album notes and written by Seamus himself. Reel - The Blackbird The first is my interpretation of a lovely Co. Down reel that is included in Nigel Boullier’s Handed Down book on Co. Down fiddle playing. Nigel learned the tune from fiddler Jackie Donnan and I feel the lovely melody suits being played slowly. The Blackbird (Reel) Seamus Sands 00:00 / 01:47 Reel - Sleeping Maggie Drowsy Maggie is perhaps one of the most commonly played session tunes, but this unusual 4-part version, titled Sleeping Maggie , comes from an undated manuscript of Co. Down fiddle player James Ward, who died in 1944. According to Nigel Boullier, Jimmy Ward was known for adding parts to tunes and it is possible that this version was his own creation. I like the fact that the unexpected third part at first doesn’t seem to fit but after a while it does seem to blend and give energy to the tune. Sleeping Maggie (Reel) Seamus Sands 00:00 / 01:19 Figure Dance - Bessy Black A six-part dance tune, also known as Betty Black , once common in Down and Armagh but no longer widely played. Not the typical rhythm of session tunes and I sometimes think the tune has a baroque feel to it, especially when played at a lower pitch, and I play it on a fiddle tuned down two tones. This version comes from my flute-player friend Dermot Rafferty and was recorded by his uncle, Hugh Savage, in 1952. Bessy Black (Figure Dance) Seamus Sands 00:00 / 02:22 Reel - The Silvery Bar The Silvery Bar is one of my own compositions and I play these tunes on the fiddle I made and for this last tune I’ve no excuses …..my fiddle, my tune, my playing! The Silvery Bar (Reel) Seamus Sands 00:00 / 01:23 Reels - The Carrickmannon Lasses / The Wind that Shakes the Barley I learned the first reel from Co Down fiddler Nigel Boullier during an enjoyable visit to share a few tunes. He collected it from fiddler Jackie Donnan who had learned it from fiddler Willie Savage. Carrickmannon is in Co. Down. The well-known Wind That Shakes the Barley is one of the first I learned from Co. Armagh fiddler Jimmy Burns and was a real favourite of the older players and ceili bands in the area. This is my interpretation of a quite ornate version in the Donnellan collection. The Carrickmannon Lasses / The Wind that Shakes the Barley (Reels) Seamus Sands 00:00 / 02:45 Barndance - Jimmy Doyle's Co. Down fiddle players Nigel and Dianna Boullier gave me the first barn dance after a very enjoyable day at their home exchanging stories and tunes. Nigel got the tune from his friend Jim Moore with whom he played weekly for over eight years. Jim in turn learned the tune from another Co. Down fiddle player, Jimmy Doyle, and Nigel includes it in his book Handed Down with some history regarding the player. There is a distinctive G-sharp note at the end of the second part that gives the tune something special and perhaps unexpected. Jimmy Doyle's Barndance Seamus Sands 00:00 / 01:27 Flings - Jimmy Ward's / Craigbuy House On Across Bridges I included tunes from Co. Down fiddler Jimmy Ward (d.1944). I’ve enjoyed playing tunes from this player that were made available through Nigel Boullier’s work and this is another of his tunes that appeals to me. My source for the second tune is John Macpherson Mulhollan's A selection of Irish and Scots tunes collection (Edinburgh). The title may be an alternative spelling of Craigboy, a townland in Donaghadee, Co. Down. It appears next to The Donaghadee Hunt , which I also play on this recording. Jimmy Ward's / Craigbuy House (Flings) Seamus Sands 00:00 / 02:31 Jig - The Donaghadee Hunt The Mulhollan collection (Edinburgh) was my source for the second jig. The Donaghadee Hunt Seamus Sands 00:00 / 01:06 Figure Dance - The Sweets of May The Sweets of May is a 3-part dance tune most associated with Co. Armagh. This Co. Down version appears in Handed Down and came from the playing of Jackie Donnan who learned it in the 1950s from Willie McCloy. Unlike other versions, it doesn’t have the first part repeated. Figure Dance - The Sweets of May Seamus Sands 00:00 / 02:14 Reel - The Grain of Tea The Grain of Tea is another tune I sourced from Handed Down. In my earlier solo recording, I played an unusual version of The Cup of Tea….. here’s another tea-themed tune! The Grain of Tea Seamus Sands 00:00 / 01:26 Mazurka - Rockin' the Cradle I’m delighted to be joined by my three fiddle-playing daughters, representing a sixth generation of fiddlers, for these mazurkas. The last tune is one I first heard at a session in Drumnaquoile, Co. Down quite a few years ago. This last tune is included in Handed Down. Mazurka - Rockin' the Cradle Seamus Sands 00:00 / 01:20 Air / Hornpipe - The Besom / The Man from Newry The Besom is a simple, but catchy, song and the first that my great-grandfather Sands taught his seven fiddle-player sons, including my grandfather. It was played and sung to me by Colum Sands who has words that start “As I was going to Newry …..” . The song with a similar chorus has links to Tyneside in the late 1700s and to Scotland. A version of the same tune appears in Levey’s 1858 Dance Music of Ireland as The Besom . The besom is a broom made of heather. The Man from Newry appears in O’Neill’s but isn’t a tune I ever heard when growing up in Newry! The Besom / The Man from Newry Seamus Sands 00:00 / 02:40 Set Dance - The Old Lodge Road / Rodney's Glory I grew up in Newry, a town bridging both counties Down and Armagh and many of the first tunes I learned there were set dances, which were played at a relaxed pace. The Old Lodge Road is one such tune that has remained with me from that time and it reminds me of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann sessions in the old Newry library in the mid ‘70s, with my father at my side to encourage, and the older players patiently sharing. A lot of the tunes were set dances, barn dances, marches, mazurkas and airs, many with a strong Scottish influence. Some of the local players that inspired at those sessions were Willie McSherry, Bertie Trodden, Paddy Rafferty, and Sean O’Driscoll. Rodney’s Glory is also one of my favourites and there is something that keeps bringing me back to both these tunes. The Old Lodge Road / Rodney's Glory Seamus Sands 00:00 / 04:12

David Carse - Part 4 1 Reel - Clyde Side Lasses generally known as The Banks of the Ilen Quadrille Tune 6/8 - The Gorilla Quadrille 2 Country Dance - Princess Royal (HD ref WMcC93) Quadrille Tune 6/8 - The Muses (HD ref JS84) 3 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - 1st Lancers (2nd part similar to the Gander in the Prattie hole ) Reel - The Heather Breeze 4 Schottische - Untitled locally titled Jimmy Ward's Schottische (HD ref JW330) Hornpipe - Willie Donaldson's Hornpipe 5 Reel - Through the Broom (HD ref RQ206) Reel - The Brandy Bottle (HD ref RQ206) Polka - Inver Folk in the Shaws 6 Jig - The Irish Washerwoman Jig - The Rakes of Kildare 7 Hornpipe - Untitled generally known as The Liverpool Hornpipe Quadrille Tune 6/8 - A Quadrille locally known as The Maid of the Mill (HD ref SW216) 8 Jig - The Trip to the Cottage (HD ref RQ202) Fling - Green grows the Rashes O' (HD ref JW285) 9 Jig - The Cork Jig Waltz - White Wings Waltz Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled locally known as The Whitehouse Lass (HD ref JS84) 10 Polka - Lord Nelson Jig - Dublin Castle 11 Schottische - Money Musk March - The Dead March Song - Auld Lang Syne 12 Song - Till we meet again Jig - The Heart of my Kitty (HD ref JS82) 13 March - Johnny Cope (HD ref DG375) Hornpipe - Saint Patrick's Hornpipe 14 Hornpipe - English Hornpipe Hornpipe - Untitled Hornpipe 15 Hornpipe - Untitled Hornpipe Waltz - Jenny Joe 16 Hornpipe - Cork Hornpipe Quadrille Tune 6/8 - A Quadrille locally known as Jimmy Ward's No 8 (HD refJW314) Hornpipe - Untitled (7 bars) 17 Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Untitled Quadrille see Jimmy Ward's Untitled Quadrille No 11 for 4th of the Lancers (HD ref JW315) Jig - The Tenpenny Bit 18 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled similar to The Greba Galop (HD ref JD159) 19 Quadrille Tune 2/4 - My Love is but a Lassie yet (HD ref WS121) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - The Girl I left behind me (HD ref WS125) Jig - Nora Creana 20 Quadrille Tune 2/4 - The Boyne Water (HD ref JW309) Schottische - Hop Light Loo (HD ref WMcC101) 21 Schottische - The Danish Polka (HD ref WS130) Mazurka - Untitled Mazurka Mazurka - Untitled Mazurka 22 Mazurka - Untitled Polka Mazurka locally known as Bobby Geddis's (HD ref BG185) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Untitled Quadrille 23 Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Untitled Quadrille Tune 2/4 Waltz - Untitled Waltz 24 Waltz - The Peekaboo Waltz (HD ref WS136) Schottische - The Danish Polka (HD ref WS130) 25 March - Killycrankie Waltz - Haire's Waltz 26 Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Untitled Quadrille Tune Quadrille Tune 6/8 - The Quaker's Wife generally known as Merrily danced the Quaker's Wife (HD ref JD158) 27 Jig- The Blackthorn Jig also locally titled Jimmy Savage's Quadrille Tune (HD ref JS173) Song - Old Folks at Home 28 Jig- Untitled generally titled Sweet Biddy from Sligo (HD ref JD149) Schottische - The German Schottische Polka - Untitled

Jackie Donnan (1933 - 2007) The following film clips of Jackie are reproduced with the kind permission of Raymond and Kate Beattie. They were recorded in Killyleagh in 1977. The Iron Man - Strathspey Jackie Do nnan plays the Strathspey The Iron Man which he learnt from his mentor Willie Savage from the To ye, Killyle agh. The Blackbird - Hornpipe Jackie Donnan plays the hornpipe The Blackbird which he played regularly in his weekly session in Comber. Untitled Mazurka Jackie Donnan plays a mazurka which he played for the dance the polka mazurka. He also played it often regularly in his weekly session in Comber. Untitled Polka & Buffalo Gals - two Plain Polkas Jackie Donnan plays two plain polkas. He never had a name for the first polka whilst he got the second one, a version of Buffalo Gals , from his mentor Willie McCloy. Jimmy McClurg's - 2/4 Quadrille Tune Jackie plays Jimmy McClurg's, a 2/4 Quadrille Tune, that he learnt from Davy Gray. It came from Jimmy McClurg who came from Upper Crossgare, a few miles from Dromara. Jackie played it for the last figure of the Lancers. Jackie showing the simple introductory steps of the two-hand dance, the Polka Mazurka - he was always shy and wary of recording hence the short duration and abrupt ending.

David Carse - Part 1 Part 1 of David Carse's manuscripts consist of the 14 pages that remain semi-bound in his black manuscript book. 1 Quadr ille Tune 6/8 - Over the Sea (for the Caledonians) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Untitled (for the Caledonians) generally titled Jock O'Hazeldene HD ref WS120 2 Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Untitled generally titled Duncan Davidson (HD ref JW306) Strathspey - Untitled 3 Waltz - Untitled Waltz locally titled Stuff the Bullock following an altercation between fiddle player John Simpson and a farmer at the dance in Ballymacreely Orange Hall (HD ref JS86) Waltz - Untitled Waltz generally known as The Peekaboo Waltz (HD ref WS136) 4 Polka - The Crawfordsburn Polka Jig/Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Brian O'Neill ( HD ref WMcC96) 5 Reel - The Miners of Wicklow ( HD ref WMcC99) Reel - Speed the Plough 6 Reel - Queen's Reel (HD ref ST354) Polka - Untitled locally known as The Belfast Polka (HD ref WS116) 7 Hornpipe - The Sailor's Hornpipe Reel - Touch it if you dare 8 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Edinburgh Lancers 1st figure Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Edinburgh Lancers 2nd figure Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Edinburgh Lancers 3rd figure 9 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Edinburgh Lancers 4th figure (HD ref JW313) 10 Hornpipe - Queen's Favourite (HD ref WMcC94 ) Reel - Untitled generally called Miss Thompson's 11 Waltz - Untitled Waltz Schottische - Untitled 12 Jig - The Siege of Carrick Reel - The Flowers of Edinburgh 13 Reel - McCloud's Reel Reel - Ramsey's Reel generally titled Miss Ramsey

John Simpson c.1909 Davy Carse 1956 Jimmy Bonar 1999 John Simpson c.1909 1/13 Willie Savage (the Younger), Toye William Savage, Jackie Donnan at Jackie's family home on the River Row in Shrigley, a mile west of Killyleagh, c.1953. Bobby Geddis 1994 Bobby Geddis, 1994 Toye Band, 2006 Bobby Geddis 1994 1/11 Tom Miskelly, Jackie Donnan, Alec Crawford playing at Billy Galbraith's farm, Craigantlet near Bangor c.1963. Jackie Donnan, Danny Cromie, Tom Miskelly, James McElroy c.1960 Jim Creaney, Davy Aitken, Danny Cromie, Alec Crawford, Jackie Donnan - All Ireland Fleadh, Thurles 1965 (standing) James Orr, Willie Garret & Ciaran Bingham (sitting) Nigel Boullier, Willie Lindsay, Jackie Donnan 2005 Jackie Donnan, Danny Cromie, Tom Miskelly, James McElroy c.1960 1/10 Nigel Boullier, Jackie Donnan, Willie Lindsay, Ciaran Bingham at Willie & Elaine Lindsay's home, Toye, Killyleagh 2005

James Ward - Part 4 Part 4 of the manuscripts were handed down from Jimmy Ward to Willie Hook, to Jim Moore finally to myself in 2000. 1 Reel - The Tinker's Reel (HD ref JW327) Reel - Lord Roden's Reel (HD ref JW317) 2 Strathspey - Fanny Farquharson (HD ref JW333) Jig - The Boys of the Lough or titled locally The Lisnagade Jig (HD ref JW295) Hornpipe - Queen's Hornpipe (HD ref JW289) 3 Quadrille Tune 2/4 - The Lass o Gowrie (HD ref WS126) Jig - Jackson's Trip (HD ref JS82) Reel - The Bush in Blossom (HD ref JW322) 4 Reel - Untitled Reel locally titled (Jimmy Ward's Reel HD ref JW329) March - The Boyne Water (HD ref JW309) Hornpipe - Bony over the Alps (HD ref JW287) 5 Polka - The Weary Soldier (HD ref JW304) Reel - Roll Her down the Hill often titled Roll Her down the Mountain (HD ref JW320) Jig - The Heart of My Kitty (HD ref JW294) 6 Jig - The Miners of Wicklow (HD ref JW296) Polka - The Drumlough Polka (HD ref JW303) Mazurka - Untitled Polka Mazurka (HD ref RG376) 7 Jig - The Royal Arch Mason (HD ref JW298) Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled (HD ref JW315) a jig version of O'Carolan's Fanny Power Jig - Jackson's dear Whisky (HD ref JW292) 8 Varsovienna Tune - Untitled Varsovienna Tune Schottische - The Danish Polka (HD ref WS130) 9 Schottische - Old Chum Schottische (HD ref JW331) 10 |Polka - Untitled (Jimmy Ward's No 6 HD ref JW306) 11 Jig - Jackson's Morning Brush (HD ref JW292) Jig - Lannigan's Ball (HD ref RQ203) 12 Jig - The Queenstown Jig (HD ref JW297) Jig - Untitled Jig elsewhere titled by Jimmy Ward as Dan's wee Pot (HD ref JW291 ) 13 Waltz - Woodland Whispers (HD ref JW341) Waltz - The Starry Night (HD ref JW340) 14 Waltz - Untitled (HD ref ST357) locally known as Jimmy Ward's Waltz Reel - Queen's Wedding (HD ref ST354) 15 Jig - Pibrock of Donald Dhu (HD ref JW293) Quadrille Tune 6/8 - A Hundred Pipers (HD ref WS117) Jig - Blue Bonnets o'er the Border (HD ref WMcC94) 16 Hornpipe - Jack's the Lad (HD ref JE179) Jig - Johnny McGill (HD ref JW293) 17 Strathspey - Untitled Strathspey generally known as Miss Ramsey (HD ref JW335) Strathspey - The Lad that wears the Plaidie (HD ref JD131) 18 Figure Dance - Untitled generally known as The Princess Royal (HD ref WMcC93) 19 Jig - Jack's Alive (HD ref JW292) Fling - Captain Kelly's Fling (HD ref JW285) 20 Strathspey - The Braes aboon Bonaw (HD ref JW334) Jig - Rattle the Cash Jig - The Self Jig known locally in East Down as The Lilies of France and generally as The Girls of Banbridge (HD ref JW285) 21 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Lancers 1st figure (Jimmy Ward's No 8 HD ref JW314) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Lancers 2nd figure generally known as I wish I were where Gaddy Rins (HD ref JW307) [Ward and many of his fiddlers added a 3rd part to the tune - a part of The Rakes of Mallow in either the key of G or D] 22 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Lancers 3rd figure (jig version of O'Carolan's Fanny Power (HD ref JW315) Quadrille Tune 4/4 - Lancers 5th figure locally known as Jimmy McClurg's (HD ref JW396) Polka - Untitled Polka (HD ref JW306) 23 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Oh Lassie are thou sleeping yet generally known as The Muckin O' Geordie's Byre Jig - The Rocky Road to Dublin (HD ref JW298) Mazurka- Untitled Polka Mazurka (HD ref JW301) 24 Polka - Untitled Polka (Jimmy Ward's No 4 HD ref JW305) [Jimmy Ward played this polka in two variations; (1) by playing parts 1, 2 & 4 as a three part tune, or (2) by playing it as below as a four part tune. (Parts 1 & 3 are the same)] 25 Jig - Before I was Married Mazurka - Untitled Polka Mazurka (HD ref BG185) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - La Russe (HD ref WS121) 26 Waltz - The Fairyland Waltz (HD ref JW338) Waltz - Nicholson's Waltz (HD ref JW337) 27 Untitled Tune Waltz - Mousetrap Waltz (HD ref JW340) 28 Polka - Untitled Polka (Jimmy Ward No 6 HD ref JW306) Polka - The Sultan Polka (HD ref JW304) Polka - Jenny Lynd (HD ref JW302 ) 29 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Bonnie Dundee (HD ref WS118) 30 Waltz - Untitled Waltz Schottische - The Mounte Rank Schottische

David Carse - Part 6 1 Reel - The Mason's Apron (HD ref WMcC98) Reel - The Liverpool Reel 2 Reel - Cameronian Reel Reel - The Five Mile Chase 3 Reel - The Glasgow Reel 4 Reel - The Yell Heifer (HD ref DG381) Reel - The Flogging Reel 5 Reel - MacDonald's Reel Hornpipe - The Liverpool Hornpipe (8 + 4 bars) - see number 6 below for remaining 4 bars 6 Reel - Blayberry Blossom Hornpipe - The Liverpool Hornpipe (4 bars) continued from number 5 above 7 Jig - Jackson's Jig generally known as Jackson's Morning Brush (HD ref JW292) Hornpipe - Queen's Favourite locally known as The Queen's Wedding (HD ref WMcC94) 8 Reel - The Gypsy Reel also known locally as The Gypsy Lass (HD ref WMcC97) Reel - Lochiel's Rant This reel was published in A Selection of Irish and Scottish Tunes , Edinburgh, 1804 by John McPherson Mulhollan. Mulhollan was born in 1781 and raised in Donaghadee, County Down some 15 miles from where Davy Carse was raised in the townland of Magherscouse. 9 Hornpipe - The Harvest Home Jig - Slashers generally known as The Kinnegad Slashers or locally, incorrectly, as The Kinnegar Slashers (HD ref JW295) 10 Reel - The Drummin Lasses Hornpipe - The Manchester Hornpipe 11 Reel - Box about the Coals also locally titled Fight about the Coals (HD ref JE181) Jig - The Connaught Man's Rambles (HD ref WMcC95) different version 12 Reel - Box about the Coals also locally titled Fight about the Coals (HD ref JE181) Reel - The Lasses of Drumbo 13 Hornpipe - The Cork Hornpipe Quadrille Tune 6/8 - The White House Lassie (HD ref JS84) 14 Hornpipe - The Cuckoo's Nest (HD ref JD147) 15 Hornpipe - The Blayden Hornpipe Hornpipe - Lens Hornpipe 16 Hornpipe - Split the Wood Hornpipe - Conway Hornpipe 17 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Royal Charlie also locally titled Wha'll be King but Charlie (HD ref WS128) Quadrille Tune 6/8 - The Laird of Cockpen (HD ref TO191) 18 Polka - Inver Folk in the Shaws Reel - Jenny among the Hay Schottische - Hop Light Loo (HD ref WMcC101) 19 Polka - The Bluebell Polka (HD ref JD154) 20 Quadrille Tune 2/4 - My Love is but a Lassie yet (HD ref WS121) Jig - Pop goes the Weasel Schottische - Highland generally titled Miss Stewart's Highland (HD ref WMcC101) 21 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - 4th Lancers generally titled Patience Lancers figure 4 (HD ref WS124) 22 Reel - The Rose of Castletown generally known as The Boys of the Lough 23 Hornpipe - Boneparte's Hornpipe Reel - Police Cap locally known as The Peeler's Cap (HD ref WMcC99) generally known as The Merry Blacksmith

Charlie Ferguson (flute), Davie Wylde (fiddle), Nigel Boullier (banjo), George Russell (bodhran), Davy Graham (guitar), Dianna Skillen (fiddle), Julian Friers (whistle/flute) Bangor - New Year's Eve 1975 Geordie McAdam - Gilmore's Kircubbin 1977 Dianna Skillen, Geordie McAdam, Nigel Boullier - Geordie's shop, Gray's Hill, Bangor 2014 Geordie McAdam, Stanley Mooney, Nigel Boullier - Stanley's home c. 1989 Geordie McAdam - Gilmore's Kircubbin 1977 1/3 Geordie McAdam Stanley Mooney Ernie Swain, Trevor Stewart - Johnny Joe's, Cushendall c.2014 Donaghadee Folk Club 1977 Geordie McAdam, Nigel Boullier, Ernie - Fealty's c.2017 Ernie Swain, Trevor Stewart - Johnny Joe's, Cushendall c.2014 1/4 Ernie Swain Sam McCaughey, Bernie Graham - Mournes c.1992 Sam McCaughey - Ballyferriter, Kerry c.1994 Leon Agnew, Sam McCaughey - Balloo House, 1977 Sam McCaughey, Bernie Graham - Mournes c.1992 1/3 Sam McCaughey Charlie Ferguson Dianna Skillen & Ben Lennon c.2018 Graeme Kirkham, Dianna Skillen - Coleraine 1976 Dianna Skillen, Julian Friers, George Russell, Philip O'Connor c.1974 Dianna Skillen & Ben Lennon c.2018 1/4 Dianna Skillen Davy Graham David (jnr) & Davy Lennon Foxy's Shed Davy Lennon, John Flack, Foxy Carberry, Nigel Boullier, Geordie McAdam - Bangor, 2020 Nigel Boullier, Brian Montague Queens University Belfast 2023 Photo courtesy of Alan Woods

Introduction of Dances The Table below gives a "rough " timeline of when the various dance forms were introduced into Ireland. Many of these are still in circulation in County Down, 1771 Minuets, Hornpipes. Country Dances & Cotillions 1779 Minuets, Cotillions, Country Dances & Hornpipes 1786 Figure Dances 1789 Minuets, Cotillions & Hornpipes 1792 Quadrilles & Cotillions Northern Star 1792 1792 Cotillions, & Figure Dances 1794 Strathspey & Scots Reel 1795 Cotillions & Figure Dances, Strathspeys & Reels, Country Dances 1801 Scotch Hornpipe, Highland Flings 1812 German Waltz The waltz in its current form shot to popularity around 1812 in the ballrooms of Paris and spread rapidly throughout Europe. However it is thought to have originated much earlier, probably from a figure of the Contredanse. "The Waltz, in what may be called its “allemande” form, that is with entwining arm-movements but without the close hold, was undoubtedly known in England a number of years before 1812, and as such was probably used as a figure of a Cotillon or Contredanse. The word “waltz” simply means to turn, and the modern dance is derived from a turning dance of the peasants." (Social Dances of the XIX Century , P.J.S. Richardson, 1960: Pages 41 & 42) 1843 Polka Opinions are divided with regards to the origin of the polka. Most authorities think the term “polka” derived from “pulka” meaning half-step. One of the more popular possibilities was that the dance was collected by Josef Neruda when he saw a peasant girl dancing to her own vocal accompaniment in Bohemia around 1830. He, or his followers, subsequently introduced the polka to high society in Prague in 1835. (Social Dances of the XIX Century , P.J.S. Richardson, 1960: Page 81) Regardless of its history the polka was introduced into Paris in 1843 where it achieved unparalleled popularity spreading throughout western dance culture. 1845 Mazurka & the Polka Mazurka The mazurka originally evolved from a Polish folk dance from the province of Masovia, and was apparently popular and subsequently spread into high society by the Polish army. In arrived in England around 1845 and was danced in sets of four or eight couples. The polka mazurka is thought to have been based on the polka and set to mazurka music and rhythm. Generally titled “the mazurka” the polka mazurka is still danced as a round dance in Counties Donegal and Down. (Social Dances of the XIX Century , P.J.S. Richardson, 1960: Pages 96-97) 1848 Schottische The schottische was another round dance finding popularity in the British Isles around the mid 19th Century; it first appeared in England around 1848. (Social Dances of the XIX Century , P.J.S. Richardson, 1960: Page 102) 1853 Varsoviana “La Varsoviana” or “The Varsovienna” was a round dance that achieved limited popularity in Ballroom society in the mid 19th Century; however it is still danced regularly in County Down. It was devised by a Spanish dancing teacher called Désiré and was first danced in Paris around 1853. (Social Dances of the XIX Century , P.J.S. Richardson, 1960: Page 97) 1886 Barndance Authorities agree that the barndance was originally called “the Military Schottische” is related to “the Pas de Quatre” and that it was introduced into England from America around 1886. The People’s Ballroom Guide and Manual of Dancing , 1905: Page 37, edited by James Scott Skinner states; The dance hails from America, its invention being credited to Mr M B Gilbert, of Boston; and it was brought over the Atlantic and introduced into this country in 1886 by Mr K M Sellars, Professor of Dancing in Glasgow and Ayr.

Nigel Boullier Jigs/Quadrille tunes - Annie Laurie & Brian O'Neill Josie Nugent & Nigel Boullier (fiddles) and Brian Stafford ( uilleann pipes) play two Jigs or 6/8 Quadrille Tunes, Annie Laurie & Brian O'Neill that come from the playing of Jackie Donnan and Willie McCloy. Recorded Bangor 2022. Jigs - Jackson's Trip & the Boy in his Pants Nigel Boullier and Dianna Skillen play two Jigs - Jackson's Trip & The Boy in his Pants . Nigel learnt Jackson's Trip from fiddle player Jackie Donnan, which he in turn learnt from Willie McCloy, and he learned T he Boy in his Pants from Lisburn fiddler Liam Donnelly . Recorded in 1994.