CD Nua le Danny Maidhcí Buail do Phuc is Liúigh

Rugadh agus tógadh Danny Maidhcí Ó Suilleabháin ar Cúil Aodha. Danny Maidhcí Dan Jehr Eoin is ainm do imeasc a Muintire fhéin agus teaspáinean sé sin an cumhacht agus meas atá ag a phobal dhúchasach agus a gcultúr, ar a síol is a n’oidhreacht. Síneann sé siar na glúnnta fada. A clan eiseachtúil é Danny. De Mhuintir Healy Barr na Stuaice a mháthair. Tá Muintir Mhaidhcí uilig iontach chun amhránaíochta agus seannachais. Tá cuimhne míorúlthach ag Danny agus níl ansa ach roinnt beag dá amhráin.   Tá sé taréis aire ar leith a thabhairt do amhráin bhéarla a cumadh go h-áitiúil le céad bliain anuas ar nós ár mbárdaibh len’ár dteangain Ghaeilge. Seo traidisiún láidir a bhí riamh sa cheantar agus a shíneann siar chun na cúirteanna filíochta ceire chead bliain ó shoin agus a mhaireann sa Dámhscoil fós inniu. Ach is beag áird a tugadh ar na h-amhráin béarla seachas na cinn Gaoluinne. Níor bailíodh iad agus iad ag imeacht as cuimhne na ndaoine. Sid é an chúis go bhfuil Danny dá thaifead anois – cuid acu ar aon chumadh. Imeasc na h-úghdair is mó cáil is geann sa dúthaigh, bhí cliú ar na Cornies nó Muintir Liatháin. Deirtí gurb í an driofúr Lena an té a b’fhearr acu siúd. Tá 12 amhán le Danny Tom ansa. Roimis siúd bhí George Curtin nó Michéal Ó Tuama I mbarra réime. É féin a bhaist an t-ainm George Curtin ar féin. Bhí sé siúd ag cumadóíreacht i ngaoluinn agus a béarla agus an t-amhrán macarónach aige leis. Tá ladhar amhrán le siúd ansa leis. I gcaitheamh a shaoghail, tá Danny taréis mórán amhráin a phiocadh suas sa bhaile agus in áiteannaibh eile ar fuaid na tire. Amhráin neamhchoitiannta nách raibh I mbéal an phobail ag an am ach thosnaigh Danny dá rá. Táid ansa leis agus a bhfoinse luaite mar is ceart ionas gur féidir leo maireachtaint leo igcomhnaí, ceangailte len’ a bhfoinse, trí athrá Danny.

Ní bhíon leisce ar Danny riamh amhrán do rá agus é fial agus flathúil lena chuimne agus a fomhar amhráin is seanachais. Is comhluadar iontach é. Tá sé ina bhall de Cór Cúil Aodha ó lár na Seascadaí. Gheibhigh Danny go Baile Átha Cliath i 1967 ar mhaithe le príntíseacht t-athú si innealtóireachta. Bhí monarcan nua thaighde agus forbartha le tógaint ar Chúil Aodha. Faid a bhí sé i mBaile Átha Cliath, chuir sé aithne ar Liam Weldon agus Frank Heart agus chruinnídís go riallta i gcomhluadar amhránaíochta in’ ionad nó suíomh a roghnaíodh Liam. Ar fileadh go Cúil Aodha do Danny, lean sé leis ag cruinniú is ag bailiú amhráin. Is ceann de phrimhléidí mo shaoghail aithne do bheith agam ar Danny agus an sult, suain is suairceas atá bainte agam as a chomhluadar. Gurab fada buan é.

Danny Maidcí Ó Suilleabháin was born and reared in Cúil Aodha. To those of his community he is known as Danny Maidhcí Dan Jehr Eoin which shows the importance and value that his people and culture attach to continuation of tradition, stretching back many generations. He is of an exceptional family. His mother was a Healy from Barr na Stuaice. The Maidhcí’s were all wonderful singers and custodians of the tradition. Danny posses a phenomenal memory and here are but a selection from his repertoire. He has given particular attention here to local songs in English that have been composed in the last hundred years. These songs are also part of our tradition in this area that stretches back to the Bardic Courts of the parish some four hundred years ago and which is still alive today through our annual Dáimh Scoil Mhúscraighe or Court of Poetry. Whilst the more substantial body of songs and poets in Irish, have come to the attention of various folksong collectors during the last century, the English language element of that same body has been forgotten. This is why Danny has concentrated on this body of songs. Amongst the better known of such local bards would be the family of the ‘Cornies” or Lehane’s of whom it was said that the sister Lena was the best. This compilation of Danny’s contains 12 songs from Danny Tom. In earlier years Micheál Ó Tuama was the more popular poet. His gave himself the pen name of George Curtin and that is how he is remembered today. George composed in Irish and English and, also, in Macoronic verse. Some of his songs are on this recording. During his life, Danny has traveled and met many and picked up lots of unusual songs. They have survived through Danny’s singing and many have since become popular but here they are in their original form. As is always proper and necessary, Danny gives the source of the song so that the song may stay connected to it’s roots. Danny is never slow to answer a request to sing a song and is very generous with his knowledge and wonderful memory. He is a member of Cór Cúil Aodha since the mid 1960’s. In 1967 he moved to Dublin to study as apprentice in advanced welding and fitting in preparation for the arrival of an advance R&D plant to Cuil Aodha. Whilst there he befriended Liam Weldon and Frank Harte amongst others and they formed into a regular folk singers gathering in places across the city chosen by Liam. On his return to Cúil Aodha, Danny continued to gather and collect songs. It has been one of the great privileges of my life to know Danny and call him friend and to bath in the happiness and pleasure and contemplative realities that he creates with his singing. Long may he thrive. Peadar Ó Riada

Taobh 1

1. Cois a' Ghaorthaigh  3.28
2. An Turas go h-Iona (Danny Maidhcí Ó Suileabháin)   3.49
3. An Gandal (George Curtin)   2.19
4. Carraig Aonair    4.40
5. Achuinní Scoláire (Seán Eoghan Ó Suilleabháin)   1.42
6. Sean an Capal (Tadhg na Tuinne)   1.32
7. Glanlea (Micky & Patsy Cronin) 9.52
8. Where the Pineapples Grow (Jim Kelly)   2.25
9. John Twiss   4.26
10. An Bonán Buí (Thomas Mac Donagh)   6.16
11. An Shabby Genteel   3.53
12. Rise Up Paddy Buckley (File áitiúil)   5.01
13. Distiller’s Regret (File áitiúil)   2.55
14. Sean South From Garryowen   3.39
15. Ten Minutes too Late   2.57
16. The Bold Tipperary Boy   3.23
17. The Braes of Balquidder   4.12
18. The Cappabui Murder   4.16
19. James Connolly   (Patrick Galvin) 4.12

Taobh 2

1. About a Row 08
2. Budoram's Ball   (Johnny Nora Aodha) 07
3. Connie's Big Campaign (Johnny Nora Aodha) 16
4. Mick Sullivan's Clock (George Curtain) 50
5. The Man coming Home from Pretoria   (George Curtin) 52
6. Jehr Foley's Boat   (George Curtain) 33
7. The ESB (Danny Sullivan, Na Cipeacha) 57
8. Battle of the Booster Station (Danny Tom) 41
9. Fat Dan's Riffle (Danny Tom) 22
10. Frank Kelly's Tree   (Danny Tom) 24
11. John Gilpin's Top Coat (Danny Tom) 17
12. Kruger's Old Mare (Danny Tom) 22
13. Jack Murphy   (Danny Tom) 05
14. The Butcher Danny Tom (Danny Tom) 07
15. The Creamery by John C (Danny Tom) 31
16. The Drunken Drovers (Danny Tom) 51
17. The Sailor's Station (Danny Tom) 40
18. The Seige of Boney's Lane   (Danny Tom) 45
19. The Sow That They Failed to Kill (Danny Tom) 57

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