The sounds of ‘Dooley Gate’ in St Peter’s Church
SOME of Drogheda’s best loved musical airs have been brought together on Michael Holohan’s latest album, The Road to Lough Swilly, which will be launched on August 14, at St. Peters Church of Ireland, Drogheda (6pm).
The Road to Lough Swilly was composed for uilleann pipes and string orchestra. Its movements explore the life of Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone. The five Memorials are tributes to a number of deceased traditional Drogheda musicians and the great piper Seamus Ennis.
This new recording features Mick O’Brien, the RTÉ Contempo Quartet, the Boyne Chamber Orchestra (featuring Drogheda’s finest string players) and a host of other talented musicians.
The album was recorded by David Slevin and Sonic Studios Dublin and received the support of The Arts Council (Trad. Deis award), Create Louth and Drogheda Credit Union.
Drogheda and local musicians involved in The Road to Lough Swilly and Memorials include Michael Holohan (composer and conductor), Tadgh Murphy, Edel Hazell, Helen Leahy, Philippa Brennan, Síle Ryan ( violins) ; Niamh Tiernan (viola) - Lucy Finn, Aisling Ní Dualaing (cello) - Daren Rooney and Mark Short (double bass) - Susan Connolly and Rachael Robinson (flute) - Breifne Holohan (guitar). Conor Barry, Mornington (guitar) Dorothy Alioth, Julianstown violin, Ann Marie McMahon, Dundalk (viola), Daire MacManus Trim, (double bass).
Featured on the CD are Sweet Dooley Gate 2018 (Trad) in memory of Bridget Cumiskey features tin whistle, uilleann pipes , guitar and string orchestra.
This beautiful emigration love song was recorded from Mrs. Bridget Cumiskey (neé Townley) who lived in Mell. When she was only 14, she was working in St. Mary’s flax-spinning mill in the Marsh Rd. ‘Dooley Gate’ is the local way of saying ‘ Duleek Gate’, an area where many of the mill workers lived. When the mills closed down in 1917 many of them emigrated to America.
The Bonny Light Horseman 2018 (Trad) recalls Mary Ann Carolan and Brian Leahy. This famous Napoleonic song was recorded by Sean Corcoran in 1970 from the great Mrs. Mary Ann Carolan (neé Usher) (19021985) who came from Tinure, just outside Drogheda. Since then it’s become a major standard in the folk repertoire and has been recorded by many prominent artists all over the work.
Marching to Drogheda 2018 (Trad) in memory of Caitlín and Roisín Uí Cairbre is a celebratory march was found by the composer in Francis Roche’s Collection of Traditional Irish Music Vol.2 1912. One can sense in the tune certain melodic and rhythmical similarities shared by parts of Louth and the nearby Scotland.
Dark Lochnagar 1995 (Trad) is in memory of Joe Ryan, the renowned Clare musician who spent his final years in Drogheda and resided at Crufty.
The Return from Fingal 2018 (Trad) commemorates Seamus Ennis and is claimed to have been the march played by Brian Boru’s Munster troops on their return from their triumph over the Danes at The Battle of Clontarf, 1014.
Not on the CD but to be played on the night is ‘ The Ferry Across the Boyne’ (1993) by Michael Holohan for Breifne Holohan. The piece was premiered in Drogheda in 1993 by Helen Leahy and her Boyne Youth Orchestra prior to their tour of Germany. James Cavanagh was the conductor.
Tickets are priced at €20 and can be purchased at fleadhcheoil.ie