DESCRIPTION:
Denis Murphy (1910-74), fidléir / fiddle player

Ríleanna / Reels: 'The Piper's Despair', 'Jim Kennedy's Favourite'

(Scroll down for English)

As an Lisín, Gníomh go Leith, Sliabh Luachra, Contae Chiarraí. Feirmeoir é ó chlann cheolmhar, a d'fhoghlaim ar dtús óna athair. Lena dheirfiúr Julia, bhi sé ina dhalta ag an bhfidléir agus múinteoir ceoil clúiteach Pádraig Ó Caoimh. Bhíodh sé ag seinm do rincí áitiúla, agus ar Radió Éireann agus ar an mBBC (a thaiféad é i 1947 agus i 1952). Chaith sé tréimhsí fada i Meiriceá ó 1949, áit a ndearna sé cúpla ceirnín tráchtála sna 1950í luatha. Bhí sé sa bhaile go leanúnach ó 1965, agus é go minic ag freastal ar fhleadhanna ceoil. Tá sé le cloisint leis ar roinnt ceirníní tráchtála a tháinig amach tar éis na gceirníní seo.

Bhi leagan den chéad ríl á sheinm i gContae Chiarraí sna 1880í faoin teideal 'Curly Mike', agus fuair an Captaen O'Neill é ó cheoltóir Corcaíoch in Chicago faoin teideal thuas. Fuair O'Neill an dara ríl in Chicago ag deireadh an 19ú céad ó Jim Kennedy, fidléir agus cara leis as Contae Liatroma, ach bhí sé i gcló cheana, in 1858, faoin ainm 'The Hare's Foot'. 'Crá Croí an Phíobaire, Ríl an Chinnéidigh' teideal an riain ar an 78 bunaidh.

Denis Murphy, fidil / fiddle. RIleanna/ Reels: The Pipers Despair; Jim Kennedys Favourile.

A farmer from Lisheen, Gneeve­guilla, County Kerry, Denis Murphy belonged to a musical family and learnt at first from his father. With his sister Julia, he was a pupil of the famous fiddle player and teacher of music Pádraig O'Keeffe, and played for local dances. Later he performed on Radio Éireann and BBC Radio which recorded him in 1947 and 1952. From 1949 he spent long periods in the United States, where he featured on some commercial recordings in the early 1950s. At home continuously from 1965, he was a regular attender at fleadhanna ceoil. He is also to be heard on several later commercial recordings.

A version of the first reel was being played in County Kerry in the I880s under the title 'Curly Mike '. Captain 0'Neill collected it from a Cork musician in Chicago under the above title. He got the second reel in Chicago at the end of the 19th century from his friend Jim Kennedy, a County Leitrim fiddle player, but if had already appeared in print, in 1858, as 'The Hare's Foot '. 'Crá Croí an Phíobaire, Ríl an Chinnéidigh' (The Pipers Despair, Kennedys Reel) is the title of the track on the original 78.

Ón Dlúth Dhiosca / from the CD: 'Seoltaí Séidte - Setting Sail, Ceolta Éireann 1957 - 1961, Dublin / Baile Átha Cliath, Gael Linn 2004