Regional Styles

For regional styles in singing, look at Sean Nós essay

Regional Styles in Instruments

Different instruments and styles of performing exist in different area in Ireland. The main regions include, Donegal, North Connaught, East Galway, Clare and Sliabh Luachra. The styles differ in terms of ornamentations, articulation, tone, speed, phrasing, and variation. Generally the different styles are associated with virtuoso performers such as Michael Coleman from Sligo whose virtuoso style was very ornamented and fast. Different instruments and dances are common in different styles. Donegal is associated with the fiddle, Scottish influences and reels whereas North Connaught/East Galway is associated with fiddle and flute, jigs and reels and a style of polka that includes quavers and semiquavers. Clare is known for the fiddle, concertina, reels and Kilfenora and Tulla Céilí Bands, and Sliabh Luachra is associated with the fiddle, accordion, polka and slides such as the Kerry polka which is based on a quaver rhythm.

Regional Styles in Irish Fiddling vary greatly. In North Donegal / West Tyrone / Northwest Tyrone the fiddle is played very aggressively. It is fast paced music where even lighter sounding melodies have a very hard punch There is a sense of urgency and power to the music. Some players associated with this style are Felix Kearney, The Dearg Brothers and Danny Meehan.

In comparison, in East Derry / Antrim/ Southwest Tyrone fiddlers tend to play a slower (though not much), not as aggressive and it is more highly ornate. Players in this style are Bobby Martin, Vincey McLaughlin and Paddy Kelly.

The music of Sligo is better documented than other regions as a result of emigration. The players of this county filled the dance halls of New York and paid tribute to their native country by sending back some of the most magnificent recordings of Irish music to date. Players such as Michael Coleman, James Morrison, Paddy Sweeney, Michael Gorman, are several of the excellent exponents of the light and bouncy style of this county. The music is characteristically fast and the overall mood favoured is a light one with the rhythm being as stated above, bouncy or with great “lift”.

Sliabh Luachra takes in parts of Counties Kerry, Limerick and north Cork. The music of the district is faster paced which has an incredible range of musical emotion. There is life and joy in the fast moving light melodies yet at the same time older players such as Con Curtin are able to play magnificent lonely tunes. The most distinct trademark of this area is the dominance of the slide and polka. Players from this district include Paddy O’Connell, Donal O’Connell, Jerry McCarthy, and Pat Fitzgerald.

In East Galway the pace of the music is greatly reduced which allows the player to concentrate more on the mood of the music. The tunes in this area are often highly ornate but the overall eerie feeling due to common occurrence of playing tunes in E flat and B flat which allow this type of sound. Excellent exponents of this style are Paddy Fahey, Paddy Kelly, Connor Tully and Liam Lewis.