Mickey Doherty is my great uncle. Fantastic to watch watch the footage and hear the voice of a relative I’ve never met. It’s also lovely to read all the great comments 🎻
On 'The Gravel Walks: The Fiddle Music Of Mickey Doherty' double cassette (Comhairle Bhéaloideas Éireann - CBÉ 002) the version of the story tells of the man from Garvan Hill going to play at the dance in Letterhillew. Mickey lived for a time on Garvan Hill when raising his large family - he probably moved on to Brockagh in early/mid? 1940's. The walls of his cottage on Garvan Hill are still intact. Great storytelling and accent and musicmaking.Listen for his Donegal pronunciation of 'floor' at 2:14
This made me laugh. My Granny (Mickey Doherty’s sister i think) used to say Floooor and Doooor😂 I can’t remember if my granny is his sister or Mickey Doherty is her uncle.
Sorry to intrude - dad learned to play (folk) from a Sligo player who stayed at our house , working as an intinerant carpenter. So I'm noseying about in Irish/Sligo folk to try and understand Dad's style. Having a brilliant time of it too. I recall this tune being a hit in the 50s or 60s in the UK - it is according to some a Catalunian tune. I prefer that it belongs to the Faeries either way:).
It's a Scottish tune - written by one of the Gows. I wouldn't be surprised to learn there was a direct line between the Gows and the Dohertys, there's lots of Perthshire in the way they played.
There's two reasons for this, it's because of the plantation of Ulster. It's not just Donegal people who sound Scottish and uses lots of Scottish phrasing, it's all of Ulster, including Cavan and Monaghan. You go down south beyond that and the people sound very different. Secondly, the fact that because Donegal has such poor farm land there was always a long history of Donegal people migrating to Scotland for work. Traditionally it was seasonal harvesting work they went over for, gathering spuds and the like. For a lot of families it was their only way of paying their rent. And then in later years it was all the tunnel work on the hydro electric scheme in the Highlands. And of course they brought back the music with them. They were told not to come back without a tune! Nearly everyone in Donegal has relations in Scotland, especially Glasgow. The shared Gaelic culture of Scotland and in particular, Ulster, goes back centuries. Hope this was helpful!
He's cutting the fiddle like they do in Cape Breton. Interesting. I wonder if they still do that in Donegal or if they do mordants (embellish by going up and down in pitch on a stressed beat) as they do elsewhere in Ireland. I wonder where the dividing line between the two is today. Does anyone know?
A. Hirt I think I understand what you mean, but your terminology is a bit different from what I'm used to, so I might be wrong. Assuming I understand you, you're talking about triplets (quick repeated bows on a note to ornament it). They're very common in Donegal fiddling, but people play them all over Ireland. Especially on reels and hornpipes. In other parts of the country people tend to slur a bit more so cuts (gracenotes) and rolls (possibly what you mean by mordants?) are more common, but people still use triplets.
Thanks for bringing Mickey Doherty to RUclips! I'm in heaven!
Mickey Doherty is my great uncle. Fantastic to watch watch the footage and hear the voice of a relative I’ve never met. It’s also lovely to read all the great comments 🎻
Hi Sean, Mickey was also my grand-uncle as Simon was my grandfather. How are you linked 😉Pic of Mum and in the profile at his final album launch!
Hi there.
My grandmother was the daughter of Mickey Doherty.
What a small world.
Makes me thing of my grandmother and her family .... the Donagheys of Ballymagan.
Thank you very much for posting
Made me happy this morning
Otherworld and typical Doherty deliverance!....."the fairy ketched her and he done this 3 times"....Mickey strummed her 4 times!...Genius!
liam deery One bullet, bang bang! See d’unbelievables simple auld salad
The Fairy Dance from Neil Gow's Original collection. There is also a 4 part version on the go now.
I am in love with his voice etc.
Incredible
On 'The Gravel Walks: The Fiddle Music Of Mickey Doherty' double cassette (Comhairle Bhéaloideas Éireann - CBÉ 002) the version of the story tells of the man from Garvan Hill going to play at the dance in Letterhillew.
Mickey lived for a time on Garvan Hill when raising his large family - he probably moved on to Brockagh in early/mid? 1940's.
The walls of his cottage on Garvan Hill are still intact.
Great storytelling and accent and musicmaking.Listen for his Donegal pronunciation of 'floor' at 2:14
This made me laugh. My Granny (Mickey Doherty’s sister i think) used to say Floooor and Doooor😂
I can’t remember if my granny is his sister or Mickey Doherty is her uncle.
Sorry to intrude - dad learned to play (folk) from a Sligo player who stayed at our house , working as an intinerant carpenter. So I'm noseying about in Irish/Sligo folk to try and understand Dad's style. Having a brilliant time of it too. I recall this tune being a hit in the 50s or 60s in the UK - it is according to some a Catalunian tune. I prefer that it belongs to the Faeries either way:).
It's a Scottish tune - written by one of the Gows. I wouldn't be surprised to learn there was a direct line between the Gows and the Dohertys, there's lots of Perthshire in the way they played.
Hi Martin, great! I hope to get back there someday, but life (wife & two kids) has intervened.
Didn't know Donegal English sounded so Scots. "The wee rid man went oot afore um."
There's two reasons for this, it's because of the plantation of Ulster. It's not just Donegal people who sound Scottish and uses lots of Scottish phrasing, it's all of Ulster, including Cavan and Monaghan. You go down south beyond that and the people sound very different. Secondly, the fact that because Donegal has such poor farm land there was always a long history of Donegal people migrating to Scotland for work. Traditionally it was seasonal harvesting work they went over for, gathering spuds and the like. For a lot of families it was their only way of paying their rent. And then in later years it was all the tunnel work on the hydro electric scheme in the Highlands. And of course they brought back the music with them. They were told not to come back without a tune! Nearly everyone in Donegal has relations in Scotland, especially Glasgow. The shared Gaelic culture of Scotland and in particular, Ulster, goes back centuries. Hope this was helpful!
He speaks more Scots than most Scottish people these days. Things are becoming more homegenus sadly.
"They jamp tae the floer"
"Wan shot ae the wa' "
He's cutting the fiddle like they do in Cape Breton. Interesting. I wonder if they still do that in Donegal or if they do mordants (embellish by going up and down in pitch on a stressed beat) as they do elsewhere in Ireland. I wonder where the dividing line between the two is today. Does anyone know?
A. Hirt I think I understand what you mean, but your terminology is a bit different from what I'm used to, so I might be wrong.
Assuming I understand you, you're talking about triplets (quick repeated bows on a note to ornament it). They're very common in Donegal fiddling, but people play them all over Ireland. Especially on reels and hornpipes. In other parts of the country people tend to slur a bit more so cuts (gracenotes) and rolls (possibly what you mean by mordants?) are more common, but people still use triplets.
A. Hir
yes thanks for this, is this johnny boys brother? nice to hear him also busting something out, eitehr way its some nice donegal playing.
Hi Larry,
How are you? Long time no see!
Martin
Try going to Santiago de Compestela and listen to their generic music