Níl gar ann! - Frank Cassidy with Johnny Doherty

Described by well-known collector of music and folklore Séamus Ennis as "the best I ever met", Frank Cassidy had a playing style all of his own. This CD, as well as the richly detailed booklet which accompanies it, contains the vast majority of what little recorded material we have of Frank Cassidy. It features Hornpipes, Reels, Jigs, Airs, speech by Frank, Séamus Ennis and local Dr. Mc Closkey, as well as the fiddler in duet with John Doherty.

The CD features some speech items, the voice of Frank himself also his cousin Con Cassidy, Séamus Ennis and Dr Malachy McCloskey voicing their opinion of Frank's playing.

The recordings cover a period in time from 1946 to 1967 and are drawn from a number of sources, The Folklore Commission, the BBC Archives, TCD and private collections.

Some of Frank Cassidy's music has been heard on radio but much of this material will not have been heard by most fiddle fans before.

Although Frank Cassidy died in 1971, he is still often spoken of in traditional music circles, with very high regard. This album will be of great interest to Donegal music fans, since the fiddle playing of Frank Cassidy has not been generally available until now.

This is an important collection of music of the man who Séamus Ennis often said was the best fiddle player that he had ever met! In a roundabout way Séamus Ennis is also involved in the title of this CD, Séamus was very keen to record Frank Cassidy however when he would eventually persuade Frank to play for him, he might play a few tunes and then put the fiddle down again exclaiming Níl gar ann! ( " It's no use") he wasn't happy with the way he was playing.

Liosta Traiceanna / Track Listing

1. Tuam na Farraige (Hornpipe)
2. Down the broom (Reel)
3. The Pinch of Snuff (Reel)
4. Tiarna Muigh Eo (Air)
5. Tiarna Muigh Eo (Air)
6. The Wedding Jig (Jig)
7. Bonnie Kate (Reel)
8. Crónáin Na Máthar (Air)
9. Dark Loch na Gar (Air)
10. Seamus Ennis recalls meeting Frank Cassidy (Speech)
11. Cuffe Street (Reel)
12. The Pinch of Snuff (Reel)
13. The Irish Washerwoman (Jig)
14. Introduction to Muineal A'Bhardail by Frank Cassidy (Speech)
15. Muineal A'Bhardail (Reel)
16. Myth Island (Air)
17. Cuffe Street (Reel)
18. The Japanese Hornpipe (Hornpipe)
19. Con Cassidy talks about Frank Cassidy (Speech)
20. Beautiful Ohio (Waltz)
21. The Lark on the Strand (Jig)
22. The Showman's Fancy / Untitled (Hornpipes)
23. Con Cassidy speaks about Frank Cassidy (Speech)
24. The Blacksmith's Fancy (Reel)
25. Rakish Paddy (Reel)
26. Dr Mc Closkey remembers Frank Cassidy (Speech)
27. Tiarna Muigh Eo (Air)
28. The Blackbird (Air)
29. The Japanese Hornpipe (Hornpipe)
30. The Mason's Apron (Reel)
31. Myth Island (Air)
32. Come back to Erin (Air)
33. Frank's greeting to his sister Kate (Speech)
34. Bonnie Kate
35. Crónáin Na Máthar (Air)