O’Brien Press, Dublin, 1998 (Third Edition) 189 pages

The Perfect gift for all Irish Music fans!

The history of Irish traditional music, song and dance from the mythological harp of the Dagda right up to Riverdance. Exploring an abundant spectrum of historical sources, music and folklore, this guide uncovers the contribution of the Normans to Irish dancing, the role of the music maker in Penal Ireland, as well as the popularity of dance tunes and set dancing from the end of the 18th century. It also follows the music of the Irish diaspora from as far apart as Newfoundland and the music halls of vaudeville to the musical tapestry of Irish America today.

Don Meade

Table of Contents

1. Music in Early and Medieval Ireland
2. Tudor and Stuart Ireland
3. Jacobites, Dancing Masters and the Penal Era
4. Music of the Exiles 1700-1830
5. Pipers, Spallpins and Patriots: Pre-Famine Ireland
6. Silence in the Land of Song: Post–Famine Ireland
7. Quebec to the Klondike: The Famine Diaspora
8. Records, Radios and Halls: ‘The New Century’
9. Ennis, Ó Riada and the Fleadh: A Tradition Restored
10. From Friels’ Kitchen to the New Millennium
11. Glossary of Traditional Music Terms
12. Music, Song and Dance Collections
13. Traditional Music Organisations
14. Select Discography
15. A Note on Session Etiquette

What the Critics are saying!

IRISH MUSIC MAGAZINE
"Fascinating account of the origins and development of Irish music and dance… does a masterful job of placing the story of Irish music, song and dance in the context of Irish society as a whole."

Ita Kelly, West of Ireland's MAGPIE MAGAZINE (2000)
"A description of traditional music which encompasses much of our heritage."

Fintan Vallely, THE SUNDAY TRIBUNE (Dublin)
"Ó hAllmhuráin’s long overdue, uncomplicated, handy companion to history books which consistently ignore the practice of this music. Valuable to both visitor and student."

IRELAND OF THE WELCOMES
"Packed with information about tunes, music organisations and publishers. A single page devoted to 'session etiquette' is a triumph."

THE HERALD (Dublin)
"An excellent overview of Irish music covering early and medieval Ireland up to the Riverdance phenomenon… numerous profiles of influential musical personalities through the centuries."

THE ULSTER HERALD (Belfast)
"A fascinating journey to the heart of traditional music."

THE IRISH POST (UK)
"Accessible, comprehensive, entertaining."

IRISH VOICE, September 23-29, 1998, On the Fiddle by Don Meade
"GEAROID O hAllmhuráin disproves the old saying that 'those who cannot do, teach.' O hAllmhuráin, a native of Ennis, County Clare, is an accomplished uilleann piper and one of Ireland's finest concertina players. He's also an historian and anthropologist on the faculty of the University of San Francisco. Combining his musical enthusiasm and scholarly training, O hAllmhuráin has added to his list of accomplishments by writing A Pocket History of Irish Traditional Music, a 160-page paperback published earlier this year by Dublin's O'Brien Press and by the Irish American Book Company of Colorado.

A Pocket History is an excellent popular overview of Irish music by someone who knows the material as only an insider can. It is not the first book on the subject. Uilleann pipers Tomás O Canainn and the late Breandán Breathnach authored enlightening tomes on Irish traditional music in the 1960s and '70s. Belfast poet/flute player Ciarán Carson also published his own insightful and entertaining paperback guide, Irish Traditional Music (Appletree Press), in 1986. No one before O hAllmhuráin, however, ever did such a successful job of placing the story of Irish music, song and dance within the context of Irish social history as a whole.

O hAllmhuráin covers a lot of ground, from 'Music in Early and Medieval Ireland' all the way up to the Riverdance phenomenon. There are chapters on Irish music before and after the Famine, on music of the post- Famine Irish diaspora and on the revival of traditional music in the 1960s and '70s. The great age of the Irish harp, the development of the uilleann pipes, the origins of set and ceili dancing and the survival of old-fashioned Irish language sean nós song are all part of the story.

O hAllmhuráin has also helped humanize the history by including numerous profiles of influential musical personalities though the centuries. Among the characters profiled are 16th-century harper Rory Dall O Catháin, 19th-century Clare uilleann piper Garrett Barry, turn-of-the century Chicago police chief and music collector Francis O'Neill and 1950s Clare ceili band leader Seán Reid.

There are appendices with a glossary of Irish musical terms and a discography of key recordings. Musical tourists to Ireland would do well to read O hAllmhuráin's concluding 'Note on Session Etiquette,' which deals with some of the 'unspoken subtleties of Irish social life,' among which are the suggestion that the 'best form of appreciation for the music' is to buy a 'discreet drink' for the musicians."

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