Audio Clips of Fiddle Players Jackie Donnan 1 Jackie Donnan 2 Jackie Donnan 3 Jim Moore James & Gus McElroy, Eddie McMullan Geordie McAdam, Ernie Swain, Brian Sutherland Dianna Skillen Seamus Sands Andy Dickson 1 Andy Dickson 2 Nigel Boullier Comber & Balloo Sessions

The Ward Manuscripts James Ward (1865 - 1944) was a farm labourer and thatcher from Drumaknockan, just below Edentrillick Hill, a few miles east of the town of Dromore in Central Down. He was highly influential in the area as a fiddle teacher and for playing at dances, parties, house dances and various soirees. He left a legacy of manuscripts covering a wide array of differing traditional tune types. Above Jimmy Ward used standard classical notation for teaching the fiddle, similar to John Simpson and Willie McCloy. James Ward Part 1 James Ward Part 2 James Ward Part 3 James Ward Part 4 Above Jimmy Ward left a vast legacy of manuscripts covering a wide array of differing traditional tune types.

Map of Central Down (Ballynahinch) The Flavelles of the Spa Willie McCaughtry & Hugh Wade Willie Harrison, John & James Stevenson John Kinghan Bertie Carlisle & George McKelvey Pat & John McCormick James & Maggie McLeigh, James & Davy Mullan

Map of East Down John Simpson of Drumreagh Willie and May McCloy Lizzie Donnan, The Hayes brothers Davy and Jimmy Carse, Davy and Jim Bowman, David Boyd The Coey's of Ballydrain, Sammy Coey of Castle Espie, Danny Cromie Geordie Montgomery, Andy and Eddie Morrow, Alec Johnston Adam Haslett, William John and Samuel Crawford Jimmy Quigley, James O'Prey, Sammy Hare Willie Glover, Rosaleen Duffy

Step Dancing Videos Maggie Pickens Maggie Pickens, also known as Maggie Pickie, was a very popular step dance throughout Down and much of Ulster. It is danced solo or as a two-hand dance. Interestingly several fiddle players were keen step dancers - Jackie Donnan, Willie McCloy, Willie Herron and James McElroy - to name but a few. Both Jackie and James danced Maggie Pickens, in fact James McElroy would often have asked Jackie to play the tune for James to dance to. Bernie Graham and Bernie Corr (dancing below) learned this version of Maggie Pickens from Margaret Rea and Joe McGuigan of County Derry. Dancers - Bernie Graham (Bangor, County Down) & Bernie Corr (Randalstown, County Antrim) Fiddles - Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh (Gweedore, County Donegal) and her daughter Nia Ní Bheirn. Recorded - 23rd July 2022 in Belfast on the Titanic Dock. Dance Instructor, Bernie Graham (Bangor, County Down) front row in the centre, leads her step-dancing class in dancing Maggie Pickens for Belfast Trad in the Rosemary Hall, All Souls Church, Belfast 2020. Fiddle - Martin Dowling (Belfast) Mazurka The original Mazurka was danced as a set of four couples; it derived from a Polish Folk dance from the province of Masovia in the 1840s. The two-hand dance the Polka Mazurka then derived out of the Polka but was danced to Mazurka music. The Polka Mazurka is a popular dance around East and Central County Down; the only other area that I have the seen the Polka Mazurka danced is in Glenties in County Donegal. In Down and Donegal the Mazurka is generally a two-hand dance. Bernie Graham learned the following Mazurka danced solo from M argaret Rea, the step dancer from Derry City. It came from C é line Tubridy who learned it in Gortahirk in North-West Donegal where she was raised. The steps can be found on page 90 of A Selection of Irish Traditional Step Dances , 1998 written by Michael Tubridy ( C é line's widower) where it is titled the Little Dutch Dance . Dancers - Bernie Graham (Bangor, County Down) & Bernie Corr (Randalstown, County Antrim) Fiddles - Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh (Gweedore, County Donegal) and her daughter Nia Ní Bheirn. Recorded - 23rd July 2022 in Belfast on the Titanic Dock.

Sam McCaughey Jigs - The Eavesdropper , Sackows and the Knights of St Patrick Sam McCaughey (fiddle), Trevor Stewart (pipes), John Hughes (flute) and Frank Cassidy (bouzouki), collectively known as Curlew play three jigs which they called; the Eavesdropper , Sackows and the Knights of St Patrick . 1986 The second jig is often known as Tripping up the Stairs , whilst the third tune is not usually associated with this title. The third jig was introduced into the Comber session, County Down in the 1970s, where Sam regularly played, by Bob Davey who got the tune from Donal Staunton a fine banjo player from Spiddal, County Galway. Reels - Dowd's No.9 and The Cabin Hunter Sam McCaughey, Dianna Skillen (fiddles), Nigel Boullier (banjo) and Davy Graham (mandola) play two reels; Dowd's No.9 and the Cabin Hunter , Killyleagh, 1992 Jigs - Willie Coleman's & The Teddy Boy's Picnic Sam McCaughey (fiddle), Trevor Stewart (pipes), John Hughes (flute) and Frank Cassidy (bouzouki), collectively known as Curlew play two jigs; Willie Coleman' s and the Teddy Boy's Picnic , better known as the Dusty Windowsill . 1985. Reels - Buck from the Mountain, Tuttle's & The Boys of Portaferry Sam McCaughey, Dianna Skillen (fiddles), Nigel Boullier (banjo) and Davy Graham (mandola) play three reels; Buck from the Mountain (a reel version of the hornpipe), Tuttle's (or Bobby Casey's ) and the Boys of Portaferry . Dufferin Arms, 1992 Reels - The Guns of the Magnificent Seven, Staten Island & The Five Mile Chase Sam McCaughey (fiddle), Trevor Stewart (pipes), John Hughes (flute) and Frank Cassidy (bouzouki), collectively known as Curlew play three reels; the Guns of the Magnificent Seven , a composition of County Fermanagh bouzouki player Fintan McManus, Staten Island and the Five Mile Chase .

The Boyd Manuscripts David Boyd was born in 1884 and was a farmer at Ballyalton, a townland a few miles north of Comber and close to Scrabo Hill and Tower. 1 Reel - The Beauty of the Kerrs Reel - The Black Haired Lass (HD ref RQ205) Reel - Kitty over the Bridge David Boyd was born in 1884 and was a farmer at Ballyalton, a townland a few miles north of Comber and close to Scrabo Tower. 2 Reel - Untitled Reel Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Mary Morrison (8 + 1.5 bars) (HD ref JS83) 3 Reel - McCutcheon's Reel Jig - Untitled Jig (4 + 8 + 3 bars) 4 Reel - Queen's Reel (HD ref ST354) Jig/Quadrille Tune - Untitled Jig (5.5 bars) 5 Reel - The Flogging Reel Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled Jig (3 bars) 6 Reel - Untitled Reel Reel - The Peeler's Cap (8 + 6 bars) (HD ref WMcC99) 7 Jig - The Trip to the Cottage (HD ref RQ202) Reel - Touch it if you dare (HD ref RQ206) 8 Jig - The Protestant Boys (HD ref RQ203) Reel - Miss McCloud's Reel (HD ref JW319) 9 Reel - The Flowers of Edinburgh (HD ref JW323) 10 Reel - Through the Broom (HD ref RQ206) Jig - Norah Crena 11 Jig - The Siege of Carrick generally known as Haste to the Wedding (HD ref JW299) Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Kenmure's up an awa (1st part), better known in East Down as Nane o' yer Winkin at Me Auld Man (HD ref WMcCa233) 12 Jig - The Irish Washerwoman Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Kenmure's up an awa (2nd part) (HD ref WMcCa233) 13 Jig - The Laird of Cockpen (HD ref JW310) 14 Jig - Blue Bonnets over the Border (HD ref WMcC94) 15 Jig - Dumfries House (better known in Ulster as the Maho Snaps ) 16 Jig - Thurot's Defeat, better known around Down as the Siege of Carrick, and generally known elsewhere as Haste to the Wedding (HD ref JW299) Hornpipe - The West Hornpipe 17 Jig - Untitled Jig (4 bars) Jig/Quadrille Tune 6/8 - A Quadrille generally titled The Kinnegad Slashers (HD ref JW295) 18 Jig - Jackson's Morning Brush (HD ref JW292) 19 Jig - Irish Washerwoman 20 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - A Quadrille generally known as The White House Lass (HD ref JS84) 21 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - The Favourite Quadrille , better known in East Down as The Muses (HD ref JS84) 22 Jig - Croppies Lie Down Jig - Jackson's Trip to Newry better known in East Down as Jackson's Trip (HD ref JS82) 23 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Wha'll be King but Charlie (HD ref WS128) 24 Jig - Garryowen Jig - Wm. McDonald 25 Jig - Captain Mulligan 26 Jig - Untitled Jig 27 Quadrille 6/8 - Untitled Quadrille Tune 28 Jig - Untitled Jig 29 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled tune for the 5th figure Quadrilles (Jimmy Ward's No 5 HD ref JW313) 30 Slip Jig - Untitled Slip Jig 31 Hornpipe - Neilson's Hornpipe 32 Hornpipe - Wellington's Hornpipe 33 Hornpipe - The Liverpool Hornpipe 34 Hornpipe - The Cork Hornpipe 35 Hornpipe - The Cuckoo's Nest (HD ref JD147) Figure Dance - The Princess Royal (HD ref WMcC97) 36 Hornpipe - Untitled Hornpipe generally titled Lochleven Castle (HD ref JD146) 37 Hornpipe - The Cuckoo's Nest (HD ref JD147) 38 Quadrille Tune 2/4 - The Girl I left behind me (HD ref WS125) Jig - The Campbells are coming (8 + 1 bars) (HD ref JW294) 39 Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Old Molly Doodle will you not come out (HD ref WS124 ) Jig - The Campbells are coming (7 bars) (HD ref JW294) 40 Quadrille Tune 2/4 - My Love is but a Lassie yet (HD ref WS121) 41 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Brian O'Neill (2nd part) (HD ref WMcC96) a version of Paddy's Return Jig - Free and Accepted Wife Quadrille Tune 2/4 - The Girl I left behind Me (HD ref WS125) 42 Polka - The German Polka 43 March - The Baffs March 44 Waltz - Title indecipherable (the melody is identical to a common Mazurka around Central and East County Down titled The Spanish Mazurka ) (HD ref WS115) 45 Waltz - The Fives Waltz Jig - Rory O'Moor 46 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled (1 part only) Country Dance - The New Triumph

Jackie Donnan - 3 These come from mostly quiet soirees and sessions recorded by myself and Dianna Skillen at various times in the period 1975 - 1999. They were digitised and edited during Lockdown (2020). Polka - Down the Wee Dark Hole Jackie played Down the Wee Dark Hole with Willie Savage for the dance the Laughing Gauger which is a "hop skip" polka. They played it in the key of G, whereas Willie McCloy played it in the key of A calling it the Banjo . It was also called Lift up your Clothes. Recorded in 1993. Down the wee Dark Hole (hop/skip Polka) Jackie Donnan 00:00 / 01:44 Polka - the Wearied Soldier Jackie learnt the Wearied Soldier from Davy and Robbie Gray, who in turn learnt it from Jimmy Ward (1865 - 1944). Ward and subsequent fiddlers played it for the dance the Laughing Gauger which is a "hop skip" polka, a popular two-hand dance around both Central and East Down. Recorded in 1992. The Wearied Soldier (hop/skip Polka) Jackie Donnan 00:00 / 01:36 Strathspey - Miss Lyall Another tune Jackie Donna would have played with Toye William and his son Willie Savage. In the period after their death strathspeys would have been Jackie's favourite solo tunes (his "party pieces"). Recorded in 1976. Miss Lyall (Strathspey) Jackie Donnan 00:00 / 01:41 Strathspey - the Iron Man Another tune Jackie Donna would have played with Toye William and his son Willie Savage. Recorded in 1976. the Iron Man (Strathspey) Jackie Donnan 00:00 / 01:40 Waltz - Billy Marshall's Waltz Jackie learnt this waltz from Toye William. Willie had forgotten it for many years when a man asked him to play it after whistling a portion. Thereafter it was nicknamed Billy Marshall's Waltz as he had reminded Willie of it. Recorded in 1984. Billy Marshall's (Waltz) Jackie Donnan 00:00 / 01:03 Schottische - Sally round the Gooseberry Bush Jackie learnt Sally round the Gooseberry Bush from Davy and Robbie Gray, who in turn learnt it from Jimmy Ward (1865 - 1944). Ward and subsequent fiddlers played it for the two-hand dance the Plain Schottische , a popular dance around both Central and East Down. Recorded in 1994. Sally round the Gooseberry (Plain Schottische) Jackie Donnan 00:00 / 01:21 Reel - Farewell to Cailroe Jackie learnt Farewell to Cailroe from the well-known tin whistle player Tom McHale who occasionally called into the Saturday night session in Balloo House in the early 1970s. Farewell to Cailroe was composed by Finbarr Dwyer the accordion player from Cork. Farewell to Cailroe (Reel) Jackie Donnan 00:00 / 00:55 Jig/Quadrille tune - Burney's No 3 Burney's Quadrilles are thought to have come from a fiddle player, Paddy Burney. Jackie and Willie Savage, and subsequently Jackie and myself, played Burney's No 3 for the 3rd figure of the Quadrilles. It is an interesting tune as the first part is a standard double jig that fits the dance, however the second part is more like a single jig, with long draggy notes; these fit perfectly with another section of the dance when the couples are balancing. Burney's No3 (JIg/Quadrille Tune) Jackie Donnan 00:00 / 01:12 Barndance - the North-East Quickstep Jackie learnt the North-East Quickstep from his longtime fiddle playing friend Tom Miskelly. the North-East Quickstep (Barndance) Jackie Donnan 00:00 / 01:40 March - the Hills of Alva Jackie recalled the march the Hills of Alva in the early 90s. He subsequently altered this variation changing notes and by adding a further part. the Hills of Alva (March) Jackie Donnan 00:00 / 00:48 Jig/Quadrille tune - Over the Sea Jackie and Willie Savage and subsequently Jackie and myself played Over the Sea for the 4th figure of the Quadrilles. Willie McCloy played it for the 3rd of the Caledonians. Jackie maintained that whilst it was a simple tune it sounded well with twin fiddles - he often referred to it as "twin fiddles". Over the Sea (6/8 Quadrille Tune) Jackie Donnan 00:00 / 01:22 Polka - Petronella Petronella was played by many of the fiddlers from East and Central Down for the popular two-hand dance, the Laughing Gauger , which is a hop-skip polka. The bouncy rhythm of the initial bars to both parts fit the "hop-skip" steps of the dance. Petronella (hop/skip Polka) Jackie Donnan 00:00 / 01:22 Polka - Niel Gow's Farewell to Whisky One of the Scottish composer’s best-known tunes, it was originally a slow air composed to lament the prohibition of making whisky in Scotland in 1799. “It is,” explained Niel or Nathaniel Gow, “expressive of a Highlander’s sorrow on being deprived of his favourite beverage”. In Ireland it is popular as a polka, where it has been played the length of the country from Kerry, by Patrick O’Keefe, Denis Murphy, and Julia Clifford in Kerry, to Antrim by Joe Holmes. There are several versions played in Down, one titled Highland Whisky around the central part of the county. It was played by Willie Savage and Willie McCloy. Savage played it for the 5th figure of the Lancers, whereas McCloy played it for the 5th figure of the Caledonians. Jackie and myself played occasionally for the last of the Lancers. Farewell to Whisky & Untitled (Polkas) Jackie Donnan 00:00 / 02:14 Discussion on Mazurkas and playing for dancing Discussion on mazurkas & dancing Jackie Donnan 00:00 / 01:32 After playing a mazurka Jackie described playing the fiddle for a dance with an auld fella (Willie Savage at the regular dance in Toye Orange Hall) for eight years. It was hard work. They played from 9 to 3 (9pm to 3am) and they were paid extra for every half hour after. But when you started that there, they danced to daylight. They were used dancing to a particular tune. They were used dancing to this one for years. I mind we played at the New Line and a big farmer, James McKelvey of the Bushes, came up and says "that's no the right tune". Willie Savage was cross man and his moustache stood out on end. McKelvey comes up says "that's no the right tune". Savage's moustache was standing out and he says "what is the right tune". So McKelvey lilted it over. Then Savage to me "we'll play his tune, then we'll play our own tune and sure he'll know bad all about it". So we played his tune and he got half way round the hall and changed into our own tune and he never noticed it. It was a wrong thing even - we should have played away no matter about him. Discussion on Barndances, Pacemakers & This is your Life Barndances, Pacemakers & This is your Life Jackie Donnan 00:00 / 01:57 Jackie Donnan holding court. He initially discusses playing only one tune for each dance, or figure of a dance. Then the benefits of dancing generally........

Map of Lecale The McDonalds Will's Billy Curran Charlie Stewart Johnny McKeating Hughie McComb, James Robinson, Paddy Brennan

East Down Ards & Lecale Central Down South Central Down Central Down West Dancing Dance Bands Sessions (North/East) Sessions (Central) Bangor Musicians

The Simpson Manuscripts John Simpson (1836 - 1921) from Drumreagh, a few miles south of Comber in East Down, taught numerous fiddle players, the best-known being Willie McCloy, Davy Carse, Geordie Montgomery, Jimmy Quigley, Alec Johnston, Sammy Coey, Andy Morrow, Willie Glover, William James Gibson and Rosaleen Duffy. The manuscripts below have been handed down from John Simpson to Willie McCloy to Jackie Donnan to myself. 1 Jig - Jackson's Rum Punch (HD ref JS82) Jig - Jackson's Maids (HD ref JS82) 2 Jig - Jackson's Trip (HD ref JS82) Jig - The Heart of my Kitty (HD ref JS82) 3 Jig - Mary Morrison (HD ref JS83) Jig - Hurrah for the Bonnets o' Blue (HD ref JS81) 4 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - The King of the Cannibal Islands (HD ref JS83) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - The Pretty Maid (HD ref JS84)

The Carse Manuscripts David Carse (1874 - 1964) was a farmer from Carse's Hill, Magherscouse a few miles north-east of Ballygowan in East Down. He learned to play the fiddle from John Simpson (1836 - 1921), where he also learnt to read and write standard musical notation. David Carse Part 1 David Carse Part 2 David Carse Part 3 David Carse Part 4 David Carse Part 5 David Carse Part 6 David Carse Part 7