CLADDAGH RECORDS NEWSLETTER July 1997 Claddagh Records, Dame House, Dame Street, Dublin 2, Ireland phone/fax +1-353-1-679-3664. Retail and international mail-order. email claddagh@crl.ie (Finbar Boyle) SOME RECENT IRISH AND RELATED RELEASES SPORTING NELL. Tommy McCarthy. Tommy McCarthy from Kilmihil is widely known as a whistle player, piper and concertina player. In the heyday of the London Irish music scene in the 1950s and 1960s, Tommy's house was a centre of musical activity, and his family have followed in his musical footsteps. This is his first album and is a lovely, honest example of West Clare music. THE LONESOME TOUCH. Martin Hayes. Third album by the well-known Clare fiddler. IRISH PIPING TRADITION. Gay McKeon. First solo album of a great piper. Truly excellent piping. WE WON'T GO HOME 'TIL MORNING. Brendan Begley. The great Kerry box-player's second album; he plays the accordion and melodeon, sings and shouts. It's exuberant, beautiful music, and it's all Begley. COLOURS OF THE DAWN. The Johnstons. Re-release of one of the Johnstons' later albums (on Transatlantic). They were at this time Adrienne Johnston, Paul Brady and Mick Moloney. Worth it for the picture of Brady with cigarette. A ROOM IN THE NORTH. Tommy Hayes. Second album by the great bodhran player and percussionist who made his name with Stockton's Wing. THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION. Clannad. Clannad compilation. O MO DHUCHAS. Seosamh O hEanai. Collection of songs in Gaelic from the great Carna singer, recorded while he was at his best. SUNNY SPELLS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS. Solas. Second album (tunes and songs) from the American/Irish group. THE IRISH TENOR BANJO. Kieran Hanrahan. This is a really great collection of traditional music - listen to his 'Mason's Apron'. HELL FOR LEATHER. Swallow's Tail Ceili Band. Music from PJ Hernon's band. THE MUSIC FROM RIVERDANCE. Brendan Power. Exactly what it says, but played on the harmonica by a great player. THE CELEBRATED RECORDINGS. John Doherty. First time on CD for this 1978 recording of the great Donegal fiddler. LEGENDS. James Galway and Phil Coulter. Easy listening. TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC. Paddy Carty. Welcome CD re-issue of Paddy Carty's solo album of the 1970s. THE LEITRIM THRUSH. Neil Mulligan. Neil Mulligan's second album of uilleann piping. Good old-fashioned , unaccompanied music, it includes one track of Neil's father Tom, who was a lovely fiddler.