NA CEIRNÍNÍ 78 1957-1960
musics of Ireland
Gael-Linn, 1978, CEF 075
Gael-Linn Records was created in 1956 by Gael Linn a body whose goal was to promote the Irish Arts and Language. The first discs produced were 78RPM and the present album is a compilation of recordings made between 1957 and 1960.
All the musicians and singers are soloists : 12 men and only 2 women. The Irish society of the time was very conservative and women had very little place out of their home (they were not accepted in pubs most of the time). They could play some music or sing but inside the family circle. Some women managed to get such a good reputation as musicians that they could play wherever they wanted like the famous Elizabeth Crotty in Kilrush. Nevertheless these 78RPM were important because Irish traditional music was not as big as it is now. A major part of the population didn't know much about the traditional culture which was seen as backward and recordings made in Ireland were rare enough.
One man, Seán Ó Riada, was instrumental in the process of meeting some singers and heping them to be recorded.
The singing is in Irish and the instrumental tracks feature four fiddlers, one piper, one flute player and one box player.
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