A Feeling in the Blood - Néillidh Boyle

Ceol Traidisiúnta Thír Chonaill / Traditional Fiddle Music from Donegal.

Néillidh Boyle from Dungloe, Co Donegal is an enigmatic figure within fiddle playing circles often talked about even though very little of his music was easily available until now.

"Néillidh Boyle was born in 1889 in Pennsylvania , USA, to immigrant parents who had a great interest in maintaining their family’s links to all aspects of Irish culture.

The Boyles returned home to Donegal by the time that Neillidh was eight years old and set up home in Cronashallog, near Dungloe in northwest Donegal. Neillidh’s neighbours and schoolmaster were amazed at his fluency in both the Irish language and music as he had just arrived from America.

In later life Neillidh attributed much of his music to the lilting of his Mother when he was a child. He came to be regarded as a fiddler of unheard of mastery among the fiddlers of Donegal. Neillidh had mastered playing in all keys and position playing. ~"

This 3 CD album, features the three 78’s that he made in 1937 and his recordings from 1946 made for the Folklore Commission on CD 1, on CD 2 recordings made by Alan Lomax in 1951 and the complete BBC recording session from 1953.

The collection also features an RTE Long Note documentary radio programme and some recordings of Néillidh’s son Paddy and his brother Con also fiddle players on CD 3. This CD published by Cairdeas na bhFidiléirí has extensive notes contained in a 36 page booklet.

CD 1

1  The Pigeon on the Gate/Jenny Picking Cockles // Reels
2  Haste to the Wedding/Over the Hills (Jigs)
3  The Harvest Home/The Green Mountain (Hornpipe/Reel)
4 Biddy of Sligo/The Connachtman’s Rambles (Jigs)
5  The Swallows Tail/The Blackberry Blossom (Reels)

6  The Dublin/Liverpool H/P’s (Hornpipes)
7  Danny O’Donnell talks to Robbie Hannan (Speech)
8  Tiarna Mhuigh Eo (Air)
9  Cam na Binne Búidhe (Air)
10 Dúlaman na Binne Búidhe (Highland)
11 The Boys of the Loughl (Reel)
12 An Suisun Ban (Air)
13 A Stór mo Chroi (Air)
14 The Wild Irishman // Reel
15 The Old Mud Cabin (Air)
16 The River Roe (Air)
17 Óró a Stór a Ghrá (Air)
18 Éire mo Thír (Air)
19 Dark Loch na Gar (Air)
20 The Moving Clouds (Reel)
21 Annie Boyle talking about Séamus Ennis (Speech)
22 Sráid na mBúrcach/Tiarna Muigh Eo/An Droighnéan Donn (Airs)
23 The Girls of Céideadh (Air)
24 Tiarna Muigh Eo/Sráid na Búrcach/An Droighnéan Donn (Airs)
25 Cam na hAolna/The Moving Clouds/The Newcastle Hornpipe (Air/Reel/Hornpipe)
26 The Girls of Céideadh/Sráid na mBúrcach/An Droighnéan Donn (Airs)
27 Néillidh talking about a feeling in the blood (Speech)
28 The River Roe (Air)
29 The Harvest Home (Hornpipe)
30 An Cailín Deas Crúite na mBó (Air)
31 Pigeon in the Gate (Reel)
32 Farewell to the Green Hills Of Ireland (Air)
33 Sráid na mBúrcach (Air)
34 Seán sa Cheo (Reel)
35 The Loughanure Tune (Reel)
36 Pleoid ar an Fharraige, is í atá mór (Air)
37 Tiarna Mhuigh Eo (Air)
38 The Moving Clouds // Reel

39 The Blackbird // Air

CD 2
1 Talk about the state of Music in Ireland (Speech)
 2 Pleoid ar na Fharraige, is atá mór (Speech)
 3 Pleoid ar na Fharraige, is atá mór (Air)
4 Tiarna Mhuigh Eo (Speech)
5 Tiarna Mhuigh Eo (Air)
6 The River Roe (Speech)
7 The River Roe (Air)
8 An Cailín Deas Crúite na mBó (Speech)
9 An Cailín Deas Crúite na mBó (Air)

10 Miss McLeod’s (Speech)
11 Miss McLeod’s (Reel)
12 Harvest Home (Speech)
13 Harvest Home (Hornpipe)
14 The Moving Clouds (Speech)
15 The Moving Clouds (Reel)

16 The Moving Clouds (Speech)
17 The Pigeon on the Gate (Speech)
18 The Pigeon on the Gate (Reel)
19 The Pigeon on the Gate (Speech)
20 Seán sa Cheo (Speech)
21 Seán sa Cheo (Reel)
22 Talk about bagpipes (Speech)
23 Farewell to the Green Hills (Speech)
24 Farewell to the Green Hills (Air)
25 The Song of the Boxty (Speech)
26 The Song of the Boxty (Song)
27 Sráid na mBúrcach (Speech)
28 Sráid na mBúrcach (Song and Air)
29 The Loughanure Tune (Speech)
30 The Loughanure Tune (Speech)
31 The Loughanure Tune (Reel)
32 Caoineadh/Keening (Speech)
33 Caoineadh/Keening (Caoineadh)
34 The Blackbird (Speech)
35 The Blackbird (Air)

CD 3
1 The Long Note – Néillidh Boyle (Feature Programme)
2 The Bunch of Keys (Reel)
3 The Teatotaller (Reel)
4 The Green Mountain (Reel)
5 The Spey in Spate (Reel)
6 The Heathery Breeze (Highland)
7 Untitled/Roddy McCorley (Marches)
8 Down the Broom (Reel)