 |
 |
Sleeve Notes
Here it is — the second volume of favourites from Ireland's most famous ballad group. Some of you may know of Paddy O'Donoghue's pub in Dublin's Merrion Row. Well, in the early sixties it was much as it is now except for the fact that then you might have found the original personnel, Ronnie, Barney, Luke and Ciaran whiling away their out of work hours raving it up in the back bar. On their first gigs they were billed as the Ronnie Drew Group. Then that fine fiddler, John Sheahan joined up and the tours and the recordings began.
Unfortunately, our old friend Ciaran Bourke is no longer with them due to poor health but is still to be found where "the crack" is! When Ronnie decided to go solo in '74 for a while, Jim McCann stepped in for a couple of years but has stepped out again and Ronnie is back. That's about as much of a potted history I have space for here except to say that throughout this album songs such as Dublin City's anthem "Molly Malone" which is centuries Old and "Killieburne Brae" (otherwise known as "The Divil and the Farmer") which my father heard when in Belfast on Volunteer business in 1912, seem to suit the boys just as happily as the more contemporary songs, Brendan Behan's "Auld Triangle", Pete St. John's "Johnny McGory" and "Molly Maguires" by Phil Coulter and Bill Martin. Throw in the set dance "Downfall of Paris", a reel and a jig or two and you have once again the magic mixture of The Dubliners. Enjoy!
Dara O Lochlainn
