Byrne’s Daughters
I wrote this tune in 2011 shortly after returning home from a great week in Glencolmcille in Donegal where I learnt a bit of Irish and played some music with the great fiddlers up there, including the family of the late great James Byrne. James’ daughters Aisling, Merle and Seána are continuing the great tradition that James represented. Highlands are tunes very particular to Donegal and they’re played with a great rhythm that sheet music can’t represent. The notes above are just the skeleton. Buy James Byrne’s classic fiddle CD ‘The Road to Glenlough’ to get a sense of how to play a highland properly, or better still, go up to Glencolmcille and take a few lessons from Aisling, Merle, Seána or Connie, James’ widow.