Swallow's Nest (reel): Brendan (eile)

Swallow's Nest (reel)

I first came across this beautiful reel, named as Paddy O'Brien's,  on The Cat That Ate The Candle (1994) by John Carty & Brian McGrath. It is credited to John Carty on www.irishtune.info but I've recently learned that is in fact a tune called The Swallow's Nest composed by Paddy O'Brien the elder from Tipperary. I've come across several versions of the tune but, for me at least, Carty's mid-paced banjo version is unbeatable. In truth, I find it tough enough to play and 'make a hames of it' more often than not, but I'll stick at it.