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Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music, Volume 1, Issue 2, Page 11

Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music, Volume 1, Issue 2, Page 11
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periodical Publisher
Na Píobairí Uilleann
periodical Editor
Chairman, NPU
periodical Title
Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music
volume Number
1
issue Content
12Ceol na hEireann Irish Music13as this typically resulted in the instrument being repaired (badly as a rule) bythe local handyman or alternatively scrapped altogether with usable partssalvaged. Tin fiddles, on the other hand, were seen as the ideal instrument forchildren. If damage was inflicted the fiddle could be tapped back into shape byeven the most unskilled of persons.KNOWN EXAMPLESThe best known metal fiddle from Donegal is undoubtedly the brass fiddle in thepossession of Charlie McDevitt of Kilcar, Co. Donegal. It was made in the early1920s by his uncles, the famous Teelin fiddlers Frank and Paddy Cassidy. Theoriginal material came from a drum which was recovered from the sea by localfishermen at the foot of Sliabh Liag. 5 The instrument is relatively heavy, beingmade of 30 to 32 gauge plate. The back and belly were clearly fully tapped intoshape and instead of using closed, soldered, mechanical joints such as in tinfiddle construction the body is closed by overlapping, brazed joints. The volumeof this fiddle is much more muted and the tone much duller than tin fiddles. Itcontains an original neck. Due to its construction in brass there has been nodeterioration in the metal body as occurs in the tin fiddles.A fiddle made by Mickey Doherty is owned by Vincent Campbell. Thisoriginally belonged to a family in the Croaghs near Lough Ea. Though havinglost its tin coated surfaces it is in a fully playable state. It is built to the fulltimber specification and exhibits chiselled F holes. Its volume and tone are quitegood. The bass bar is currently loose and it contains the original woodensoundpost. The sides are cut at irregular lengths indicating that they were madeout of leftover scrap lengths. The flange formed by the back and the sides isrolled around wire and smoothed where the heel of the fiddlers hand restsagainst the back as noted above.Another excellent example of a tin fiddle ascribed to the making of MickeyDoherty is in the possession of Columba Mac a Bhird, a Teelinman now livingin Kilcar. Again this instrument is of excellent construction and is very similar tothe latter.Another instrument, the maker of which is uncertain, is now in thepossession of Feter Oliver of Ardara and formerly owned by his neighbour, therenowned fiddler John Gallagher. It does not possess F holes but round, drilled,sound holes.Another instrument which has badly decayed and is in a state beyondplaying is in the possession of the Irwin brothers, Doorin, Mountcharles. Thebody of this instrument is severely rusted and it no longer possesses a neck. Ihave been informed by its owners that the original neck did not come from atimber fiddle.More than likely the last fiddle to have been made within the fiddling /whitesmith fraternity of Donegal was made by Simon (Stranorlar) Doherty in1984. It was especially made for and presented to Gary Hastings (now living inGalway) from his wife, Caitriona, on the occasion of their marriage. The body isnot that of the modern instrument with its pointed C bouts but has a figure eightshape resembling a guitar. There are no F holes but two drilled sound holes oneither side of the bridge. The neck and pegs were also made by Simon. Anunusual feature of this instrument is its tin soundpost. This is formed by havingrolled a piece of tin plate into a cylinder. It is held into place by rivets. Tueoriginal external tin coat is still on the instrument.The body of an instrument made out of galvanised steel has recently beencompleted by Jim Evans of Shannon, a highly skilled tin plate worker in CountyClare.Jim Burke of Croagh, near Dunkineely, recalls the making of a tin fiddle andoriginal wooden neck by a local man. The whereabouts of this instrument is notknown.6REFERENCES1 McLaughlin, Dermot and Doherty, Liz. Tin Fiddling. The Strad, August 1991, pp 697- 699.2 Older persons in Donegal consistently distinguish the trade of whitesmithing from blacksmithing.Whitesmiths worked with light sheet metal, most commonly in tin and occasionally in copper andbrass. Blacksmiths undertook heavier forge work and almost solely in iron.3 Feldman, A. and ODoherty, F. The Northern Fiddler. Blackstaff Press (Belfast, 1979).4 small, Jackie. Sleevenotes accompanying The Gravel Walks, (cassette) CBE 002, comhairleBhdaloideas Eireann (Dublin, 1990).5 McLaughlin, Dermot. sleevenotes accompanying The Brass Fiddle, cC44, Claddagh Records(Dublin, 1987). (This commercial recording features the brass fiddle on its cover).6 ocallaghan, Anthony (editor),Heres to My Friends - Songs and Stories ofJim Burke. Printed bythe Donegal Democrat, 1986.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSI would like to express my thanks to Jimmy McBride, FAS Training Centre,Letterkenny and Jim Evans, FAS Training Centre, Shannon, for their informativediscussions on sheet metal working techniques. Information about and access toinstruments was most kindly provided by Vincent Campbell, Charlie McDevitt,John Gallagher, Gary Hastings, Pat Connaghan and Columba Mac a Bhird.A
issue Number
2
page Number
11
periodical Author
[Various]
issue Publication Date
1994-01-01T00:00:00
allowedRoles
anonymous,guest,friend,member

Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music, Volume 1, Issue 2

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