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This collection of 200 recordings was created for From the Bridge: A view of Irish music in New York by Alan Morrisroe. Each recording was transferred at the speed at which it was originally recorded, which was not always exactly 78 rpm.
Alan Morrisroe
Alan was born in Barnacogue, Parish of Charlestown, County Mayo, in October 1951 into a home with a great musical heritage, the kind of heritage that kept our traditional music alive in our homes today. Alan’s upbringing in subsistence farming and the waves of emigration to the United States of America, England and Scotland left a lasting impression on him. The melodeon playing of Alan’s paternal grandmother, Catherine Gallagher (Catty Nell), and that of his father, Joe was a huge influence on Alan’s own development as a musician. He described Catty Nell and her life in his own words:
”My grandmother was born in the year 1884, played melodeon, was taught step and figure dances by the traditional itinerant dancing master in the 1890s, sang songs and was a hard working farmer. Her first husband died in 1916 aged 32 years having contracted pneumonia. My grandmother was in dire straits at that time with 4 your children the youngest being 3 months old at the time of their father’s death. She had a tough life and her melodeon playing often helped in alleviating the depressed episodes of which there were many.”
Alan absorbed dance music naturally and spontaneously and as he says:
“I have never been influenced by the modern form of what one might call “revived instrumental playing”, rather absorbing what I possess organically, as it were, never being aware of the process of absorption, it all occurring by ear, as we say in Co. Mayo.”
Alan has lived in Dublin since the late 1970s, having worked in other parts of Ireland, the United States of America and England in the past. He is regarded as a leading expert and collector of 78rpm records relating to Irish traditional music.
The 200 recordings are presented here in 6 different playlists, organised by publisher.
