The Monks of the Screw One


Liner Notes

The Name:
The Order of St. Patrick was initiated in 1779, by the brilliant Advocate from Newmarket, John Philpott Curran. It was a political and charitable order that campaigned vigorously for civil rights for all religious persuasions, the country as always being in a theocratic dilemma. It was named The Monks of the Screw because of the pseudo-religious organisation of the group and the partiality of some of its members to the fruit of the vine. Curran wrote a poem The Monks of the Screw (see pages 10, 11 in
Stories in Song Vol.1 for the lyrics of the song The Monks of the Screw and its associated footnotes) and there is also a tune by that title in one of O’Neill’s collections of Irish dance music.

Polkas:
a: Cascade (An tEas)
Composed by the groups box player Timmy O’Connor named after a waterfall on the Glenlara river near his home in Toureendarby, Newmarket.
b: Billy Mahony’s
Called after the fiddle player the late Billy Mahony of Taur, Newmarket. Billy learned the fiddle from Dan Roger O’Sullivan of Scarteen St., Newmarket who taught fiddle and concertina in the local area all his life.

Jigs:
a: Down the Back Lane (Siar an Cúl Sraide)
From the L.P. The Rambles of Kitty released in the late 1960’s.
b: The gander in the Praty hole (An Gandal Sa Pholl Prataí)
A very popular jig mainly associated with pipes

Hornpipes
a: The Cuckoos Nest (Nead na Cuaiche)
This tune comes from the playing of concertina and melodeon player, Jack Keane of the Commons, Newmarket. It is possibly English in origin and is a variant of the Elizabethan bawdy ballad Come ashore Jolly Tar and your trousers on. Jack Keane is 94.
b: Tom Billy’s
Learned from the box player Johnny O’Leary who got it from Tom Billy Murphy the blind fiddle teacher from Glencollins, Ballydesmond. Tom Billy taught in the Cork/Kerry border area.

Polkas:
a: Toureendarby Polka
From the concertina playing of the late Johnny Micky Barry of Toureendarby. One of the few tunes from Johnny Micky that has a name.
b: The Brogeen
Composed by fiddle player John Walsh of Derrygallon, Kanturk and named after a stream that flows from Boherbue into Kanturk.

Waltzes:
a: Ger Dan Mac’s
Taken from the box player Ger Dan McAulliffe of Glenlara, Newmarket. Ger contributed five different indigenous sets to Larry Lynch’s recent publication Set Dances of Ireland, The Ginny Ling, The Plain Set, The Polka Set, The Set of Mezerts & The Victoria.
b: Pull Down the Blinds (Tarraing anuas an Dallog)
From the playing of Jack Keane who was the main musician at the Dancing Kiln Patter near his home in the Commons, Newmarket

Reels:
a: Durang’s
From the playing of Kerry fiddler Denis Murphy (The Weaver). He may have brought it from America.
b: Blossom Time Reel (Ríl aimsir an bláth)
Learned from the fiddle player Jack Connell of Lighthouse, Ballydesmond who is steeped in the Padraig Ó Caoimh repertoire.

Slides:
a: Johnny Micky’s
One of the many tunes he played at social gatherings in the locality
b: The Drake (An Bardal)
From the melodeon playing of the late Daniel Fitzgerald of Glenamuckla, Newmarket

Air/Jigs:
a: Conny the Soldier (Air) (Conchubair an Saighdiuir).
The air is taken from the subsequent jig and arranged by the group
b: Conny the Soldier (Jig)
This jig was learned from fiddle player Jim O’Keeffe of Ballinahulla, Ballydesmond
c: The House in the Glen (An tig sa Gleanna)
Another tune from Jim O’Keeffe, a local version of the very popular jig.

Jigs:
a: Farewell to Ballinahulla (Slán le Baile na hOlla)
From the playing of Paddy Cronin originally from Reabuí, Gneeveguilla. He recorded it on his Kerry’s Own L.P. (1977).
b: Art O’Keeffe’s
This is a mixture of a Johnny O’Leary and Julia Clifford version. Julia played it on the recording The Humours of Lisheen and got it from her neighbour Art O’Keeffe, a flute and fiddle player.

Reels:
a: The Reconciliation (An Reiteach)
From the fiddle player Jack Connell of Lighthouse, Ballydesmond who contributed an enormous amount of material to Brendán Breathnach, the legendary folk collector
b: The Mist of Sliabh Luachra (Ceobhran Sliabh Luachra)
From Jack Connell. This reel has all the characteristics of a Sliabh Luachra tune. The name reminds one of Eoin Rua Ó Suilleabháin’s Ceo Draoichta i igcoim Oidhche.

Barndances:
a: The Grand Old Man (An Seanfhear Galanta)
From the concertina playing of Johnny Micky Barry who died in 1981 but left a wealth of music in the locality.
b: The Gypsy Princess (An Banfhlaith Giofogach)
Learned from Jack Connell of Lighthouse. There are many different versions of this tune in the area & it is sometimes played as a slide.

Polkas:
a: Daly’s Mill (Muileann Ui Dalaigh)
Composed by fiddle player John Walsh of Derrygallon, Kanturk & called after a disused mill on the Brogeen River. John has fiddle lessons from Dan Roger O’Sullivan of Newmarket who died on 21st August 1967.
b: Mountvara Bridge (Droichead Sliabh Vara)
Another tune composed by John Walsh. It has three parts which is very rare in the traditional polka rhythm.

Jigs:
a: John Shine’s
Timmy Connors, the groups box player, learned this tune from the whistling of John Shine of Inchintotane, Newmarket who heard it played by two uileann pipers at a pattern in Glounakeel, Rockchapel
b: Bill Sullivan’s Fancy
This was a favourite dance tune of the late Bill Sullivan of Knocknacolon near Kanturk. Bill was a great music enthusiast.

Waltzes:
a: Tom Billy’s
From the fiddle player Mickey Duggan of Knockrour, Scartaglin who learned to play from Padraig Ó Caoimh. Mickey got this tune from Tom Billy Murphy of Ballydesmond and called it after him.
b: Johnny Micky’s
This waltz was always very popular locally. It was like a break for the musicians & dancers between sets.

Jigs:
a: Mylons Rock
Composed by the groups flute player Paudy Scully. Mylons Rock is a shallow indentation in a cliff in Shraoilan Wood, Newmarket, associated with the local Pagan Deity, Mylon.
b: The Leg of the Duck (Cos na Lochan)
A very popular traditional tune sometimes played with three parts. There’s a version of it found in Joyce’s Ulysses, I gave it to Nelly to put in her belly, the leg of the duck, the leg of the duck.

Polkas:
a: The Cuban
From the fiddle playing of Julia Clifford
b: Con Tadhgo’s
Learned from the box player Johnny O’Leary from Rathmore who got it from Cornelius Cronin, a melodeon & concertina player from, Gullane, Gneeveguilla.

Slides:
a & b: Johnny Micky’s
Johnny Micky played the concertina in the indigenous Duhallow and Sliabh Luachra style sometimes playing the two sides of the concertina in harmony. He learned a lot of his music from Jim Denny O’Sullivan of Cummer, Meelin and Dean Jack Tom O’Connor of the Commons, Newmarket.

Producer -- Johnny McCarthy
Recorded – digitally by Colum Cronin at
Carrigdown Recording Studio.
Cover design – John Drew
Sleeve Notes – Paudy Scully
Photography – John & Muiri Drew
Sponsored by Michael Scully of Scully’s Bar, Newmarket
All arrangements by The Monks of the Screw

Musicians:
Timmy O’Connor accordeon
Paudy Scully flute
John Drew mandocello
Tim Browne bouzouki