Brian Rooney - Leitrim To London

(June 2002) 15 tracks: The Boyne Hunt / The Silver Spear (reels) * Shandon Bells / Jackson’s * P J Maloney’s / Mrs Galvin (hornpipes) * Maid of Mount Cisco / The Mountain Top (reels) * Paddy in London / Green Fields of America (jigs) * The Templehouse / The Dairymaid (reels) * The Luathradán / The Black Rogue / I Buried my Wife and Danced on Top of Her (jigs) * The Lady on the Island / The Queen of May (jigs) * Young Tom Ennis / Contentment is Wealth / Jerry’s Beaver Hat (jigs) * The Skylark / Roaring Mary (reels) * Plains of Boyle / Cronin’s (hornpipes) * Maids of Castlebar / The Devils o' Dublin (reels) * Lord Gordon’s (reel) * Scatter the Mud / The Carraroe Jig (jigs) * Tory Island / Reel of Rio (reels).

Two years ago, Brian Rooney released his first album and took the fiddling world by surprise. Having spent most of his life in London, the Leitrim man was a relatively unknown musician at home. The strength of his tone, the swing of his playing, and the beauty of his variations established him without any argument at the very forefront of Irish instrumental music.

Here he plays selections of dance tunes, assisted on some by Brian McGrath (piano), John Blake (guitar) and Gregory Daly (flute). He also displays his prowess on the accordion on one track.