Farrell O'Gara
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"Farrell O'Gara's Reel", in Gaelic "Fearghal Ó Gadhra", also known as "Falcarragh Reel",<br> "Faral O'Gara", "Fergal O'Gara", "Grondeuse" and "The Silver Spire" is an Irish reel in<br> D Major. The parts are played. AAB (Miller & Perron) or AABB' (O'Malley).<br> One of the "big reels" in modern session playing. Brendan Breathnach (1963) remarks<br> that it has been said that the Farrell O'Gara of the title was Lord Moy O'Gara who<br> gave shelter to the Four Masters. "Farrell O'Gara" was recorded several times during<br> the 78 RPM era by the great New York City based Sligo fiddlers: Michael Coleman<br> recorded it in 1927 (paired with "Good Morning to Your Nightcap"), James Morrison<br> under the title "Roderick," and Paddy Killoran as "Shannon's Favorite." See also the<br> recording below by John McGrath, who emigrated to the United States in 1928 and was<br> a contemporary and friend of Coleman and Morrison. The melody was recorded famously<br> on 78 RPM by fiddlers Paddy Sweeney and Paddy Killoran in New York in 1931, paired<br> with another, different, reel called "The Silver Spire" however, so influential<br> was the pairing that there occasionally has been confusion of titles. Around the<br> same time a Highland fling version was recorded by fiddler John McGettigan, originally<br> from Glenree, Donegal.<br> It was printed in Breathnach's CRÉ I (1963),<br> Mallinson's 100 Essential (1995),<br> Lyth's Bowing Styles in Irish Fiddle Playing (1981),<br> Miller & Perron's Irish Traditional Fiddle Music, 2nd Edition (2006),<br> Mulvihill's 1st Collection (1986),<br> O'Malley's Luke O'Malley's Collection of Irish Music vol. 1 (1976),<br> Peoples's Fifty Irish Fiddle Tunes (1986) and<br> Taylor's Traditional Irish Music: Karen Tweed's Irish Choice (1994).<br> It was recorded by John McGrath {born Co. Mayo, 1900-1955} & Lad O'Beirne (on fiddle<br> and piano, respectively) on The Coleman Archive, vol. 2: The Home Place (2005),<br> Paddy Killoran (1931),<br> Michael Coleman on The Heyday of Michael Coleman (1973),<br> Tommy Peoples & Seamus Gibson on Fiddle Sticks: Irish Traditional Music from Donegal<br> (1991),<br> Jean Carignan,<br> Christy Moore on The Iron Behind the Velvet (1978),<br> Paddy Killoran & Paddy Sweeney on The Wheels of the World, vol. 2 and<br> Tommy Peoples on Traditional Irish Music.<br>
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