Finbarr Dwyer Explained

Finbarr Dwyer
Alias:	Finbar Dwyer
Birth Date:	1946 9, df=yes
Birth Place:	Castletownbere, County Cork, Ireland
Death Place:	Mallow, County Cork, Ireland
Instrument:	Button accordion, fiddle, guitar
Genre:	Irish
Occupation:	Musician
Years Active:	1950s–2014

Finbarr Dwyer (often misspelled as "Finbar Dwyer") (20 September 1946 – 8 February 2014) was a traditional Irish accordion player from the famed Dwyer musical family. He was born in Castletownbere, County Cork on 20 September 1946, began playing accordion at the age of three, and began composing at the age of nine.^[1] Both of his parents played accordion and his father also played fiddle. His brothers Richard and Michael (died 1996) likewise played accordion, while his brother John, born in 1933, played fiddle.^[2] In 1969 he won the All-England accordion title. He died on 8 February 2014, in Mallow, County Cork, Ireland.^[3]

Compositions

The following tunes have been credited as compositions by Finbarr Dwyer in commercial recordings by a variety of Irish traditional musicians:

• Beare Island Reel, published at least as early as 1974
• Holly Bush, published at least as early as 1974
• Kylebrack Rambler, published at least as early as 1979
• Berehaven, published at least as early as 1970
• Farewell to Kilroe, published at least as early as 1970

There are more tunes that have been credited to Finbarr Dwyer, but have either not been commercially recorded by other musicians or have only been credited to him according to less reliable sources.^[4]

Discography

This may not yet be a complete discography. Some of the Outlet releases listed below may in fact be reissues or compilations of each other's material.

• Finbarr Dwyer with Teresa McMahon. Irish Traditional Accordionist. Outlet OLP 1004, 1970.^[5] Finbarr Dwyer, accordion. Teresa McMahon, piano. Recorded at International Studios, Belfast. Producer: Billy McBurney. Engineer: Cel Fay.^[6]
  • One track from this album, "Trim the Velvet / Berehaven," was included on The Champions. 9 Outlet champions play 16 of their best tracks of Irish traditional music, Outlet SOLP 1023, 1974.^[7]
  • Reissue: Finbarr Dwyer with Teresa McMahon. Pure Traditional Irish Accordion Music. Outlet PTI CD 1004, 1994. Finbarr Dwyer, accordion. Teresa McMahon, piano. Contents: The pigeon on the gate; Gillespies—Hill 60; The spring well—The pipe on the job; Kitty's rambles—West the hill; The Druid's field—The fries breeches—Banish misfortune; Tatter Jack Welsh—Trim the velvet; Berehaven—The groves of Slaney; The iron gate—Paddy Ryan's dream; Farewell to Cailroe—Finbarr Dwyer's no. 2; The meadow—The concert flute; Upstairs in a tent—John Dwyer's; Paddy Taylor's.^[8]
  • Reissue exactly as above but with original title: Finbarr Dwyer with Teresa McMahon. Irish Traditional Accordionist. Outlet PTI CD 1004, 1994.
  • Five tracks from this album were included in the 2-volume anthology Festival of Traditional Irish Music first released as Outlet Records CHCD 1037, 1994. See a corrected contents listing of that anthology at irishtune.info.
  • Four tracks from this album were reissued as Finbarr Dwyer's contributions to this compilation: Joe Burke, Finbarr Dwyer, Kevin Loughlin and John Whelan. Titled either Session with Four Accordion Champions as Outlet SOLP 1027, or Pure Irish Traditional Accordion. Session with Four Irish Champions, as Outlet PTI CD 1027.^[9] See a corrected contents listing at irishtune.info.
  • Reissue: As CD 2, Finbarr Dwyer, of the 10-CD packaged set Celtic Souls. Irish Celtic Ballads & Traditional Music. IML Irish Music Licensing, released 5 September 1996. . See a corrected contents listing at irishtune.info.
  • Reissue: Finbar [sic] Dwyer. Kitty's Rambles. All Media Entertainment, SICD5015, 2007^[10] and/or 2009, released 9 April 2009.^[11]
• Finbarr Dwyer. The Best of Finbarr Dwyer. Outlet OLP 1011, 1971. With Teresa McMahon (piano). Contents: Side A-1: 1/ Paddy Kelly's Reel (P Kelly) – 2/ Finbar Dwyer's No. 1 & Mary McMahon (trad) reels—3/ Reevey's & The Bees Wing (trad) hornpipes—4/ The Mason's Apron (trad) reel—5/ Paddy Fahy's Favourite (trad) / Paddy Murphy's Wife (trad) reels—6/ The Golden Eagle (trad) & The Sunshine Hornpipes (trad). Side A-2: 1/ John Dwyer's Reels (J.Dwyer) & Reevey's (trad) – 2/ Paddy Fah's (sic) Jig (P. Fahy) & Hideout (jigs) – 3/ Cosgraves (trad) & The Laughing Reel (L. Dwyer) (reels) – 4/ The Wheels of the World (trad) & Pinch of Snuff (reels) – 5/ Sheik Billy (F. Dwyer) & The Copper Beech (F. Dwyer) (reels) – 6/ The College Grove (trad) (reel)^{[12] [13]}
  • The fourth track from this album, "The Mason's Apron" was included on The Champions. 9 Outlet champions play 16 of their best tracks of Irish traditional music, Outlet SOLP 1023, 1974.^[7]
  • The same track, "The Mason's Apron," was also included in the 2-volume anthology Festival of Traditional Irish Music first released as Outlet Records CHCD 1037, 1994. See a corrected contents listing of that anthology at irishtune.info.
• Finbarr Dwyer. Ireland's Own Traditional Accordionist. Finbarr Dwyer, accordion. Teresa McMahon, piano.^[14] Outlet OLP 1016, 1971. Contents: Sean in a Fog (Sean Sa Cheo) cut #A.01a—Guager cut #A.01b—Father Kelly's [Reel] cut #A.02a—Mamma's Pet cut #A.02b—Ross Favourite (Jig) cut #A.03—Jenny's Welcome to Charlie cut #A.04—Ryan's (Hornpipe) cut #A.05a—High Level (Bridge) Hornpipe cut #A.05b—Sligo Maid, cut #A.06a—Sally Gardens cut #A.06b—Paddy Kelly's (Reel) cut #B.01—Galway Hornpipe cut #B.02—Betty's Fancy cut #B.03a—Grant's Reel cut #B.03b—Paddy Taylors Fancy cut #B.04a—New York Jig cut #B.04b—Augrim Jig cut #B.05—Johnny Allen's (Reel) cut #B.06a—Shoemaker's Daughter cut #B.06b^[15]
• Finbarr Dwyer. Star of Ireland. Silver Hill PSH 106, 1976. Traditional music arranged by Dwyer. Program notes on container by Frank Conroy. Contents: Mulhare's; Miss McLeod's – Teelin reel; Star of Ireland—Ahearne's egg; Fahy's – Tom Wall's downfall; Floggin reel—High level—Paddy Fahy's; Canadian no. 2 – Star of Munster; Jimmy's folly—Moving cloud; The dawn—Dead piper; My darling asleep—Mahoney's reel—Larry Reddigan's reels—Cooley's; Joe O'Malley's favourite.^[16]
• Finbarr Dwyer. Ireland's Champion Traditional Accordionist. Outlet SOLP 1032, 1977.^[17]
• Finbarr Dwyer. Gems for Accordion. Audiocassette. Tara, n.d.^[18]
• Finbarr Dwyer. Accordion Music from the Soul. 2007.^[19] Contents: Finbarr Dwyer's Fancy—Richard Dwyers jigs—Rakish Paddy; The crib of perches—The fly by night—Clais an admid; Paddy Kelly's fancy—Waltz of the birds—Finbarr Dwyer's favourite; Emelda Roland's reel—The Lake Shore; The exile's return—Molly Bawn—Paddy Fahy's; The old thatched cabin—Whistling Rufus; Marching through Georgia—Alpine slopes.^[20] See a corrected contents listing at irishtune.info.
• Robbie Hannan, Finbarr Dwyer. The Tempest. Na Píobairí Uilleann, [2008]. Vol. 3 of the series Ace and Deuce of Piping.^[21]

Notes and References

1. Sleeve notes to OLP 1004.
2. The Companion to Irish Traditional Music, ed. Fintan Vallely, New York: New York University Press, 1999, p. 112.
3. Web site: The death has occurred of Finbarr DWYER . . 8 February 2014 . 18 February 2014.
4. Additional tunes that are listed with credits to Finbarr Dwyer can be found with the irishtune.info Tune Search tool
5. Still Records after All these Years 44 (Spring 2010), p. 43.
6. Label and sleeve notes for OLP 1004.
7. OCLC record number 61660541 viewed on 26 June 2010
8. OCLC record number 32972621 viewed on 26 June 2010
9. Front cover of PTI CD 1027 insert.
10. Irish Traditional Music Archive catalog entry for item 20752-CD, viewed on 27 June 2010. See http://www.itma.ie/
11. Web site: Finbar Dwyer :: Kitty's Rambles . Allcelticmusic.com . 9 April 2009 . 5 September 2013.
12. Web site: Disc Outlet . Irishmusicreview.com . 5 September 2013.
13. Web site: LISTSERV 15.5 – IRTRAD-L Archives . Listserv.heanet.ie . 28 July 2010 . 5 September 2013.
14. http://ibiblio.unc.edu/keefer/mp11.htm#Mcmater
15. Web site: Folk Music Performer Index – Dov to Dz . Ibiblio.org . 5 September 2013.
16. OCLC record number 59672090 viewed on 26 June 2010
17. OCLC record number 21314371 viewed on 26 June 2010
18. Web site: viewed on 27 June 2010 . Amazon.com . 18 February 2014.
19. Copyright date "2007" (contrary to OCLC-sourced date of 2008) according to physical copy of this album in CD format, examined on 30 April 2021.
20. OCLC record number 314011455 viewed on 26 June 2010
21. OCLC record number 276956142 viewed on 26 June 2010