ev~n at that, her repertoire was not 1exhausted. The 1ate Father .L_ Murray also published a icoI:·edion of Ulster songs in :which he included a number .he discov•ered in Donegal, mainly in JHannafast. ln the early months of ·l~H5 the "Derry Journal'' printed a series or unpublished traditional songs (in Gaelic) submitted iby an anonymous eontriibutor. These came mainly .from the Teelin district. But tlhe most s_y~stema1 tic collec1ion h:as been going on in Donegal over the last fifteen years or so under the aegis of the Coimisiun Bealoideasa Eireann 1(Irish 1F'olklore Commission) Dufblin which is presided over iby Professor Seamus Delargy, a noted expert on .folklore. Fiolklc·re Commission-I am indebted t-0 Mr. Padraig Byrne '(Tee- ~in) of the Folklore Commission f.or his kindness tn sending me an interesting account of the records and activities of that ·body. :The work of the members, I need hardly say, is not confined to Donegal; it ranges ov·2r the whole ·country. Hence the number of officials who are qualified and can be spared to do this high1y specia:is.ed work in a -given region is naturally very small. But the results are most gratifying. kbout 5!0 traditional songs have been ,recorded by Captain Danaher of the Irish Folklore Commission and Seamus Mac Aonghusa, a former staff m·ember. The recordings were made on . 12-inch and lG-inch gramophone discs from 1wea. .. known sing.ers in this county, a few of ·whom exceUed themselves in the Oireachtas competitions f.or traditional singers and in Radio Eirea.nn .bro~ldcasts. The singers in question were Aodh O Duibheannaigh, Rannafast. Seamus 0 h-Ighne, Gl-encolmcille, Conan 0 Domhnaill 1Rannafast; Citi Ni Ghallch-0bhair, Bunbeg; Eibhlin Nie Aoidh, Bealtine; :Mrs. :Mary McGee, Gweedore; Mrs. Sheila Gallagher, do.; /Siobhan 1~i Bhaoi~ Duibhlinn Riabhach. In addition to the songs. over 100 pf.eces of traditional music Played on the vio:in were recorded ~>" the Commission officials already mentioned and by the BJB.C. This co1lection comprises selections of melodies, reels, jigs, hoYnpipes and set-dances played by the most expert of the few traditional violinists now Temaining in the county. There are at least four of these who deserve mention. Two brothers, John and Michael Doherty, are from Glenfin. They excel in the rendering of Irish reels, of iWhich they seem to have an endless store:- ~The Donegal Reel', 'Rakish Paddy'. ·'Jackson's Reel', to quote but a few. Their creative art is evident from the 1variations ;which they introduce into several tunes. variations that seem to be quite original. ras they are not found elsewhere. I Have myself heard ri record of John Doherty's playing of the "Irish vV.asherwoman" and it far surpasses the usual version. of this tune. Frank Cassidy, Tef'- lin, is tihe last remaining brother of a family well-known as tr8,- ditional fic:\dleris. His brother John, lately deceased, was regarded as the 'best fiddler in Co. Done~al. He once manufactured a brass vi~lin which is still in the· possession of his brother, Frank. Outstanding among the numerous airs the Cassidys knew is the very old Irish Lament, "Tighearna Mhuigheo". Finally there is Neil 297
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