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  Cómhrá na dTonn by Máire Nic Dómhnaill Gairbhí (2004, ISBN
0-9545324-0-6)
Cómhrá na dTonn means the Conversation of the Waves. It is a book of
traditional Irish music from the past and comes with a companion CD. It is
authored by Máire McDonnell Garvey (Máire Nic Dómhnaill Gairbhí). Together with
Dan Healy and Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh, she has been collecting and playing
traditional music for many years.
The name Cómhra na dTonn comes from a little deserted fishing village called
Aughris, on the north Atlantic coast between Sligo and Enniscrone. Large stones
similar to the Giant's Causeway face the sea. There is an opening under the
cliffs and it is said to run for about a mile. When the wild Atlantic waves roll
towards the cliff's they rush into this opening and the roar can be heard for
over thirty miles away.
The tunes on the CD have much to do with the sea and nature. To accompany the
CD, Máire Nic Dómhnaill Gairbhí wrote a book of the same name. The story
of each of the twenty tracks is related in the book as is the music and history
and many pictures.
Máire Nic Dómhnaill Gairbhí talks of the forgotten people of Ireland. "In the
19th century there were many collectors of Irish tradition music and songs.
Patrick Lynch, George Petrie, W.P. Joyce, William Forde and Captain Francis
O’Neill. The setting up of the Folklore Society of Ireland, the Feis Ceoil, and
Conradh na Gaeilge were all instrumental in bringing Irish tradition forward in
order to equal its European neighbors. Men and women in these societies did
wonderful work for the future of Ireland. Eibhlín Bean Ui Coistealbha, who was
teaching in the Presentation Convent, in Tuam married the local doctor, and
collected songs from the Tuam, Connemara and Mayo singers, where Irish was the
spoken language at that time. She published her collection under the name Amhrán
Muighe Seola."
"Our Ancient music is seldom heard," says Máire Nic Dómhnaill Gairbhí. "We
have delved into the well of 400 years ago and came up with The Wild Geese, the
tragic story of the destitute women ‘ag caoideadh’, as the ships set sail for
France as their men folk were going to join the Irish Brigades to fight for King
James II. It was 1691, after the fall of Limerick. Before that around the
forming of the Confederation of Kilkenny, the Parliamentarians defeated the
Confederate Catholics at Cnoc na nDos near Mallow in Co. Cork, and not a man of
Allister Mc Donnell’s army under the command of Taffe was left alive.
MacAllistrum’s Lament-March is a fitting tribute to the dead."
Máire also talks about the closeness of Irish tradition to the other 5 Celtic
countries and the reasons for this. "Pointing out that Thomas Connellan and
his brother Lawrence both Harpers from Cloonamahon in Co. Sligo, both lived in
Scotland for years and both Ireland and Scotland claimed their compositions. I
say we come from the same tradition. We have Planxty Davis one of Thomas ‘s
compositions."
Further research was done in Wexford, the home of the Mummers. "It took some
time to discover the two most important men of that era. Now almost forgotten
except for the oldest generation. Their stories are full of excitement and
challenge; Arthur Warren Darley was born in Dunlaoghaire and first lived in Silchester Road. In 1923 he purchased a house in Northumberland Road, Dublin. His
family was musical both in traditional and classical. His grandfather played the
uilleann pipes and fiddle, his father played fiddle and viola and Arthur played
fiddle and piano. Arthur was playing the fiddle well at 8 years of age. He was a
fellow in The College of Violinists, London, Professor of Leinster School of
Music, Director of the municipal School of Music, and was deeply interested in
Irish Music. He met P. J. McCall who spent much of his time in Wexford. Together
they collected old tunes and Ossian Publications published them. It was P J
McCall who composed the famous Wexford Ballads and Arthur Darley put the music
to them – The Boys of Wexford, Boolavogue, Kelly The Boy from Killane."
"Arthur read a paper to the Irish Literary Society in 1897," continues
Máire. "He talked of the ancient bards and harpers, and the supremacy of
their music. He had theories as to how the position of Irish music could be
advanced in the future. He said, many believe he song known as Killarney is an
Irish air Kathleen Mavourneen, Molly Bawn and many others are accepted as
genuine. “Now is not such ignorance lamentable? ” He said Thomas Moore and
Stevenson were censurable for their work. They changed the name of “The Foxes
Sleep” to “When he who adores thee”, and they removed all the vestige of Irish
character from the ancient melody. Arthur adjudicated at the Feis Ceoil all over
the 32 counties."
Then, Máire came to a very interesting item. The connection between County Mayo
and counties Armagh and Down, bring a new element to her history. "The
O’Neill Clan were numerous O’Neills of the Fews, Armagh. O’Neills of Mayo were
descended actually from the Fews, the Leitrim O’Neills and the Meath O’Neills.
The first migrations from the north in medieval times were the Mc Donnell’s and
the Mc Sweeney’s who came to this part of the world as galloglasses or
professional soldiers, hired by the Burkes. Migration took place from Ulster to
County Mayo, from the end of the 18th century. The late Cardinal O Fiaidh did a
study of this."
When Máire moves into the 18th century, she finds an underlying seam of culture
right across Mayo. "Songs and music were heard at every fireside. In remote
areas people sang Carolan’s songs. Dr Douglas Hyde collected many sean-nós songs
around the Mullet. Here I come to Patrick Lynch. I have the list of 189 tunes he
collected in Mayo from Queen’s University, Belfast."
The book is available from the Cómhrá
na dTonn Web site.
Máire McDonnell Garvey was born in 1927 in Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon. She moved to Dublin in 1948. She plays fiddle, researches Irish traditional music, has written three books and is a member of various historical and musical societies.
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