The Sailor on the Rock: Breandán

I decided to take up the fiddle for this one.  I've been having a love hate learner's relationship with this bad boy of a string instrument for the past few years, and while my fingers have progressed better than the banjo, it still squeaks a bit.  Still, I think I'll incorporate it into the blog a bit more from now on and aim to eradicate the squeaks.

This tune is a belter of a session reel.  I think it's originally a clare tune, and if I'm not mistaken the great Junior Crehan was synonymous with it.  I'm open to contradiction there of course from real historians like Brendan eile!  Here's a lovely version that is to be found online from two great musicians, Antain MacGabhann on the fiddle and James Keane on accordion.  They follow the tune with Lucky in Love, one of my favourites, that was made famous by the great Leitrim flute player, James McKenna, way back at the start of the last century.

And here's my rather short & squeaky version