Fire Draw Near

Episode LXVI concentrates on iterations of the traditional within a modern context. At some times it is a soft embrace, at others a collision. There are songs and tunes from many parts of the world. It is a journey. Don't be scared. Caitlin Finley and Will Woodson – The Plains of Boyle - Lawson's Doireann Glackin & Sarah Flynn – Mrs Galvin's Hornpipe - Grace's Favourite Barren – Sonny's Mazurka Ao...

This episode looks at the ballad The Dark Eyed Sailor aka Fair Phoebe and Her Dark Eyed Sailor Tracklist Phil Tanner – Fair Phoebe and Her Dark Eyed Sailor Fred Jordan – The Dark Eyed Sailor Walter Pardon – The Dark Eyed Sailor Lou Killen – The Dark Eyed Sailor Steeleye Span – The Dark Eyed Sailor Kate Doherty (Denery) – Dark Eyed Sailor Christy Moore – The Dark Eyed Sailor Luke Kelly – The Dark E...

Episode LXV (and not LXX!!!) has songs and tunes, old ones and new ones, drink and meat, hares and pigs, parties and funerals, sacrifices and tributes. Tracklist Bryan O'Leary – I’ll meet you on a day that never ends / The Ballinahulla Butterfly / Tranquility in Tureencahill Tim Lyons and Fintan Vallely - The Price of the Pig Vidd – Stor sak om världen hatar mig Sarah Makem – I Courted a Wee Girl...

This one features more gems from my recently unearthed music collection, songs of protest, songs of love, songs of dark magic, as well as more proggy folk rock than you've ever heard in one single episode. It is respectfully dedicated to the memory of Margaretta D'Arcy who sadly passed away last month. Rest in Power. X https://www.mickmoloneyfilm.com/ Tracklist Margaretta D'Arcy - The Great Gas Gi...

FDN LXIII is a special episode focusing on shape note singing in the United States. It is based around two interviews conducted this year with Howe Pearson and Sasha Suczyk and looks at the history and evolution of shape note singing in North America, as well as various cultural and social aspects of the tradition. Tracklist NOLA Sacred Harp Singers – I Walked Abroad Wootten Family – Ortonville Co...

I have just recently gotten my vinyl and CD collections back from where they were stored for 6 months (thanks Crispo!!), an event that definitely makes itself felt in this episode. If there is a theme then it's something to do with pipers, fighters, outlaws, thieves and revolutionaries. Art by Lawrence Alma-Tadema. X Tracklist; Seán McKeon – The Salamanca / Trim the Velvet Tealeaf – Bone Lace Wea...

Episode LXI is a lengthy heady blast through all of the amazing music that has come my way over the last month. There's so much really quality interesting stuff coming out in the wider traditional - folk - weirdo music scenes these days and this is just a taster. The draft is full and rich. Drink deep and be let contentment be your wealth. Artwork by Louis le Brocquy for the Thomas Kinsella transl...

This episode looks at the ballad Blackwater Side aka Blackwaterside aka Down by Blackwaterside and the journey that it took from a Traveller site outside Belfast in 1952 to the first Led Zeppelin LP. A winding river of a song, this episode looks at its multiple obscure sources as well as its many meandering tributaries. Tracklist Led Zeppelin – Black Mountain Side Bert Jansch – Blackwaterside Anne...

FDN LX was recorded in a bedroom in the 9th Ward in New Orleans. Upon reflection it features many friends, peers and contemporaries and that must be a good thing. Cormac Mac Diarmada – Iníon an Fhaoit’ ó’n nGleann Jim Ghedi – The Seasons Bob Hill – Pity The Downtrodden Landlord Ben Edge – Crossbones Lament Angeline Morrison – Unknown African Boy (d. 1830) Paddy McKeown – Cailín Deas Crúite na mB...

This episode looks at the song Hares on the Mountain aka Blackbirds and Thrushes aka If All the Young Women aka Nancy Lay Sleeping aka The Knife in the Window aka Pretty Polly aka Shepherd So Bold aka Sally My Dear aka Lightning and Thunder aka Crawling and Creeping aka Ain't Gonna Do It No More aka Roll Yer Leg Over Tracklist Shirley Collins and Davy Graham – Hares on the Mountain Harry List – Kn...

Episode LVIX is an eclectic collection of traditional material arranged and performed along a wide and varied spectrum of emotion, mood and colour. Expect bombast, pomp, introspection and sensitivity with a side dish of wonktown 2000. Artwork from Garden of Earthly Delights, Hieronymous Bosch, 15th - 16th century. Tracklist Sam Spence – Quest For The Silver Trophy Natalie Ní Chasaide and Iarfhlait...

This episode looks at the song the Boston Burglar aka Botany Bay aka the Louisville Burglar aka the New Transports Farewell aka the Transport aka Adieu to Old England Tracklist Paul Clayton – Botany Bay The Watersons – The Whitby Lad Fiddlin' John Carson August – The Boston Burglar Carl T Sprague – The Boston Burglar New Lost City Ramblers – Louisville Burglar George Pegram – The Boston Burglar Ca...

Episode LVIII is a spotlight on the Appalachian region of the USA, based around an interview with the one and only Andy the Doorbum and focusing on the relief work that he is currently carrying out there. If you would like to support him in his efforts you can do so here - https://campsite.bio/andythedoorbum The episode also features an unreleased track from Andy, namely Young Emily / Edmund in th...

Episode LVII is a grim Halloween special featuring some creepy favourites! Artwork is a German painting of the Danse Macabre, creator unknown. Tracklist John Carpenter – Tommy Tells Of Ghost Ships Richard Dawson – Ghost of a Tree Paddy Glackin and Robbie Hannan – The Young Tom Ennis / The Maid at the Well John Goodluck – The Lover’s Ghost Pentangle – The Cruel Sister Harry Bradley and Michael Clar...

This episode looks at the song The Greenland Whale Fishery aka The Greenland Whale Fisheries aka The Greenland Whalers aka When the Whale Get Strike Thanks to Liam Cashin for the Futurama clip! Tracklist Mike Waterson and Lou Killen – Greenland Whale Fishery
 The Pogues – Greenland Whale Fisheries
 The Dubliners – Greenland Whale Fisheries
 David Pryor – When The Whale Get Strike
 Hermes Nye – Gre...

This episode looks at the ballad Fair Margaret And Sweet William aka Lady Margaret And Sweet William aka Sweet William and Fair Margaret aka Knight William aka Lady Margaret aka Little Margaret aka The Old Armchair Tracklist Tom Munnelly – Talking about Knight William Martin Howley – Knight William AL Lloyd – Fair Margaret And Sweet William The Hare and the Moon – Sweet William and Fair Margaret J...

Fire Draw Near Episode LVI turns a focussed ear to the liminal weirdos at the very fringes of traditional and folk music. And Nioclás Tóibín. Pictured are the Belgian duo Tabernis, who open the episode. Tracklist Tabernis – Carmen Reginarum Róis – Caoine Charanjit Singh – Raga Bhairav Isa Gordon – What a Voice Seamas Hyland – Navan Road Nioclás Tóibín – Eochaill The Deadlians – Return to Fingal /...

This episode looks at the ballad the Suffolk Miracle aka the Holland Handkerchief aka the Lover's Ghost. Tracklist Nora Cleary – The Holland Handkerchief Packie Manus Byrne – The Holland Handkerchief Austin Flanagan – The Holland Handkerchief Michael McGonigle – The Holland Handkerchief John Goodluck – The Suffolk Miracle Chris Foster – The Holland Handkerchief Rósa Ingólfsdóttir – Djákninn á Myrk...

Fire Draw Near Episode LV is respectfully dedicated to the memory of Heather Wood ' - outstanding singer, tank driver and wit'. It features her singing with the Young Tradition alongside some anti-marriage songs, a little look at Oró Sé Do Bheatha 'Bhaile, some traditional tunes by Rory Gallagher, some north American goodness and a bit more besides. Tracklist Jim Williams – Finger Scene The Young...

This episode looks at the ballad Maids When You’re Young Never Wed an Old Man aka An Old Man Came Courting Me aka Never Wed an Old Man aka The Foolish Old Man. Tracklist The Dubliners – Maids When You’re Young Never Wed an Old Man The Clancy Brothers – An Old Man Came Courting Pat McNamara – Never Wed an Old Man Sam Larner - Maids When You’re Young Never Wed an Old Man Danny Brazil – An Old Man Ca...

Fire Draw Near Episode LIV features wrens, bitterns and cailleachaí. Roisin El Cherif - Siúil a Rúin David Murphy – Sean O'Duibhir a Ghleanna Dave Van Ronk – Luang Prabang Wire Worms – The Cutty Wren The Young Tradition – Byker Hill Thin Lizzy – Sitamoia Meaigí Nic Dhonncha – Cailleach an Airgid Stiofán Ó Cualáin – Cailleach an Airgid David Power – The Hag With The Money / Garrett Barry's Bexl...

This episode looks at the song Paddy Works on the Railway aka Paddy on the Railway aka Poor Paddy aka Fillimiooriay aka Paddy Works on the Erie aka Pat Do This, Pat Do That. Tracklist That Clancy Children – Paddy on the Railway The Pogues – Poor Paddy Salty Dick – The Shaver Mark Page – Paddy Works on the Railway Ewan MacColl – Paddy Works on the Railway Dominic Behan – Paddy Works on the Railway...

This episode looks at the ballad Santiano aka Santiana aka Santy Anno aka Santy Anna aka The Plains of Mexico. Tracklist Henry Lundy and David "Pappie" Pryor – Bay of Mexico The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem – Santy Anno The Watersons – The Plains of Mexico Pusser's Rum ft. Stan Hugill – Santiano Meredydd Evans – Santiana The Weavers – The Bay of Mexico Odetta – Santy Anno The Kingston Trio - Sant...

FDN LIII has been a long time coming...Included therein are songs of resistance, songs of magic and songs of being human. Life, Death, Love, Rage, Joy and Suffering. You know the drill. Sit by the Fire Draw Near. Free Palestine. Artwork designed by Palestinian artist Abdal Latif Muhanna and published by the Foreign Information Department of the PLO in 1982. X Tracklist Zeinab Shaath – The Urgent C...

This episode looks at the song Eggs and Marrowbones aka Marrowbones aka The Old Woman from Wexford aka The Old Woman from Oxford aka The Old Woman from Boston aka The Old Woman of Slapsadam aka An Old Woman’s Story aka The Rich Old Lady aka The Auld Man and the Churnstaff aka Tippig it Up to Nancy. Artwork by Carol Roe - https://youtu.be/laBE2X5tBMw Tracklist: John Reilly – Tipping it up to Nancy...