The Offical Website Of 10-string Fiddler Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh

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About

• 

  about Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh

  If you're wondering how to pronounce my name, try "Kwee-veen Oh Rye Alla" on for size. It's not quite right, but as a first attempt it's not too shabby.

  I make music on a 10-string fiddle called the hardanger d'amore , and I travel the world as a solo musician, in duos with Dan Trueman, Mick O'Brien and Brendan Begley, and as a member of The Gloaming and This is How we Fly.

  I also use live processing on stage, sending the sound of my fiddle through code I write in a programming language called ChucK.

  I've had the extraordinary pleasure of performing on some of the most beautiful stages in the world, including the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall, although some of my favourite performances have been much more intimate and ephemeral events, special one-off things invented by friends. I live in Dublin, and love it for the place and the people.

  There are seventeen recordings to my name so far, ranging from quite traditional to fairly out there. I enjoy both equally, playing the old music that I love, and exploring the region where traditional music begins to disintegrate.

  You are very welcome here, and I hope you enjoy exploring this page yourself!

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  about the instruments

  I play a stunning 10-string instrument made by Norwegian luthier Salve Håkedal. The top five bowed gut strings plus the five sympathetic strings below give the fiddle a wonderful resonant sound. It is somewhere between a hardanger fiddle and a viola d'amore , so I've taken to calling it the Hardanger d'Amore.

  I use baroque and transitional bows made by a wonderful French bowmaker named Michel Jamonneau. His bows are things of great beauty, and for me they are like paintbrushes for sound. They are the perfect match for the Hardanger d'Amore, and together they teach me something every time I pick them up, expanding what is thinkable and possible.

Videos

Kestrel

wih Thomas Bartlett :: from the album Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh & Thomas Bartlett on Real World Records

Fead an Iolair

with Dan Trueman

Ephemera II

live for Blue of the Night :: RTÉ Lyric FM

All Good Things

wih Thomas Bartlett :: Filmed by Myles O'Reilly at Pepper Canister Church in Dublin, Ireland for Arbutus Yarns Presents 'This Ain't No Disco'.

Other Voices Berlin 2017

Solo performance of Going to the Well for Water

Rí Rua

with This is How we Fly

What What What

shot by Myles O'Reilly :: for Arbutus Yarns

Easter Snow

Live in Dingle :: at Other Voices 2016

Caol le Caol

with Dan Trueman

Recordings

all albums €15 :: free p&p worldwide

Laghdú

with Dan Trueman

Deadly Buzz | Aoibhinn Crónán

with Mick O'Brien

A Moment Of Madness

with Brendan Begley

Where the One-Eyed Man is King

Solo

Kitty Lie Over

with Mick O'Brien

Comb Your Hair & Curl It

with Ó Raghallaigh / McEvoy

Music for an Elliptical Orbit

Solo

All Soundings are True

with Garth Knox

The Gloaming 3

with Ó Lionáird / Hayes / Cahill / Bartlett

The Gloaming 2

with Ó Lionáird / Hayes / Cahill / Bartlett

The Gloaming

with Ó Lionáird / Hayes / Cahill / Bartlett

Live at the NCH :: The Gloaming

with Ó Lionáird / Hayes / Cahill / Bartlett

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh & Thomas Bartlett

Foreign Fields

with Gariess / Berndalen / Mac Erlaine

This is How we Fly

with Gariess / Berndalen / Mac Erlaine

Triúr sa Draighean

with Hayes / Ó Riada

Triúr Arís

with Hayes / Ó Riada

Triúr Omós

with Hayes / Ó Riada

Laghdú

:: An IrishMusic.Net Record :: :: Released September 2014 :: :: imdn-nm3 ::

"a seamless and unfettered soundscape / the work of musicians revelling in the moment: a rare find" ★★★★★THE IRISH TIMES

Laghdú, the title of this album by Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Dan Trueman, translates as a lessening, a decrease, a reduction.

The music they have written stretches and abstracts the DNA of Norwegian and Irish fiddling; the result is something new, sparse and stunning. It ranges from the near-silent to the nigh-on orchestral, at times exploding joyously from their two beautiful hybrid 10-string fiddles, at times barely there, holding time still.

Utterly unique, this is music of an exceptional and unusual beauty.

The album comes in a stunning triptych cover designed by Rossi McAuley of Distinctive Repetition.

Printed in soy-based ink on sustainable board at Generation Press in Brighton, a printing plant where they generate their own electricity, and the water leaving the plant is cleaner than it is on entering.

The paper has been embossed with lines that give it a three dimensional feel and has a beautiful texture.

It is held together with two rubber bands which echo the strings of our instruments.

Tracklist: 1 Laghdú 2 Gollywhopper 3 What What What 4 Mausoleum 5 The Jack of Diamonds Three 6 Tuireamh na n-Iolar 7 Folamh 8 Leathan le Leathan 9 Fead an Iolair 10 Caol le Caol 11 Aonar

Order CD now ::: €15 free p&p worldwide

You can read all about it on our Bandcamp Page, where you can also stream the entire thing for free, purchase a download of it, or buy the beautiful object itself. Happy listening!

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Music for an Elliptical Orbit

:: A Diatribe Record :: :: Released August 2014 :: :: DIASOLCD 005 ::

Music for an Elliptical Orbit is my most recent solo album. I made it for Diatribe Records, a wonderful Dublin-based music label that is run by Nick Roth, and is part of a series of four albums by string players: myself, cellist Kate Ellis, violinist Cora Venus Lunny and fiddler Adrian Hart.

The music is sparse, minimal and raw, more contemporary than traditional. I recorded it in a remote little cottage in the Wicklow Mountains outside of Dublin.

Tracklist: 1 lithosphere 2 cloud 3 big mammoth 4 rún 5 má tá / if and only if 6 little mammoth 7 easter snow 8 what what what

I have no more physical copies of this album, but you can listen to the whole thing at Diatribe.ie Online Shop, where you can also purchase a digital copy of it.

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All Soundings are True

:: A Diatribe Record :: :: Released July 2017 :: :: DIACD 023 ::

All Soundings are True is an album of improvised music from Garth Knox and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh.

Tracklist: 1 Sundhelm 2 Fluctus 3 Tasseography 4 Blindsight 5 Tsumba 6 County Down 7 Minutus 8 Albanach 9 Ramé

Order CD now ::: €15 free p&p worldwide

Listen to the whole thing at Diatribe.ie Online Shop, where you can also purchase a real or digital copy of it.

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This is How we Fly

:: A Playing With Music Record :: :: Released September 2013 :: :: PWM14 :: Nic Gareiss: percussive dance Petter Berndalen: percussion & animoog Seán Mac Erlaine: clarinets & max msp Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: hardanger d'amore Tracklist: 1 what what what 2 march for a dark day 3 on one wing 4 the enkies 5 woo dr hythm 6 céad moladh 7 mausoleum ::: ellipsisses 8 big pat's ::: dan breen's 9 flight to light 10 tree on the downs 11 pelargonens död 12 lonesome road

Order CD now ::: €20 free p&p worldwide

Also available at Bandcamp, where you can listen for free, or purchase a physical or digital copy of the album.

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This is How we Fly :: Foreign Fields

:: A Playing With Music Record :: :: Released September 2017 :: :: PWM21 :: Nic Gareiss: percussive dance Petter Berndalen: percussion Seán Mac Erlaine: clarinets & electronics Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: hardanger d'amore Tracklist: 1 man of few words 2 the bittersweet march 3 the feet 4 rí rua 5 the percussion 6 duck egg 7 the clarinet 8 tí mór 9 agus a haon :: mumpsimus :: counterline 10 the fiddle 11 foreign fields 12 fjellvant 13 lonesome road

Order CD now ::: €15 free p&p worldwide

Available at Bandcamp, where you can listen for free, or purchase a physical or digital copy of the album.

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The Gloaming

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: hardanger d'amore Iarla Ó Lionáird: vocals & harmonium Thomas Bartlett: piano Dennis Cahill: guitar Martin Hayes: fiddle

Tracklist: 1 Song 44 2 Allistrum's March 3 Saoirse / Freedom 4 Old Bush 5 Hunting the Squirrel 6 Necklace of Wrens 7 The Girl Who Broke My Heart 8 Sailor's Bonnet 9 Opening Set 10 Samhradh Samhradh

Released on Brassland Records in the US and on Realworld Records everywhere else.

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The Gloaming 2

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: hardanger d'amore Iarla Ó Lionáird: vocals & harmonium Thomas Bartlett: piano Dennis Cahill: guitar Martin Hayes: fiddle

Tracklist: 1 The Pilgrim's Song 2 Fáinleog 3 The Hare 4 Oisín's Song 5 The Booley House 6 Repeal the Union 7 Casadh an tSúgáin 8 The Rolling Wave 9 Cucanandy 10 Mrs Dwyer 11 Slán le Máighe 12 The Old Favourite

Order CD now ::: €15 free p&p worldwide

Released on Brassland Records in the US and on Realworld Records everywhere else.

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The Gloaming 3

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: hardanger d'amore Iarla Ó Lionáird: vocals & harmonium Thomas Bartlett: piano Dennis Cahill: guitar Martin Hayes: fiddle

Tracklist: 1 Meáchan Rudaí (The Weight of Things) 2 The Lobster 3 Áthas (Joy) 4 The Pink House 5 Reo 6 The Old Road to Garry 7 Sheehan's Jigs 8 My Lady who has Found the Tomb Unattended 9 Doctor O'Neill 10 Amhrán na nGleann (The Song of the Glens)

Released on Realworld Records

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Live at the NCH :: The Gloaming

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: hardanger d'amore Iarla Ó Lionáird: vocals & harmonium Thomas Bartlett: piano Dennis Cahill: guitar Martin Hayes: fiddle

Tracklist: 1 The Booley House 2 Cucanandy 3 The Sailor's Bonnet 4 The Pilgrim's Song 5 The Rolling Wave 6 Fáinleog

Released on Realworld Records

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Deadly Buzz

:: An IrishMusic.Net Record :: :: Released July 2011 :: :: IMdN CD BR42 :: Mick O'Brien: uilleann pipes, flute, whistle Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: fiddle, hardanger fiddle, whistle Tracklist: 1 An Buailteoir Aerach, The Enchanted Lady, The Holy Land 2 Ar Phósaís Fós?, The Surround, We'll Hunt the Wren, The New Way to Miltown 3 Denis Murphy's Quirky Fling, Jimmy Doyle's Polka, Port Mháirtín Shéamuis 4 Did You Wash Your Father's Shirt?, Paddy Cronin's Beauty 5 Dessie O'Connor's Páidín Ó Raifeartaigh, Cuilinn Uí Chaoimh, Kitty Come Down to Limerick 6 The Lass of Carracastle, The Morning Dew, Lad O'Beirne's Geese in the Bog 7 Donal a' Phumpa, A Denis Murphy Reel, Jack the Lighthouse 8 Aoibhinn Crónán, The Hopstores, Lilly of the Valley 9 The Dublin Lads, The Taproom, The Liffey Banks 10 Gone for his Tea, The Humours of Derrykissane 11 A Curious Denis Murphy Jig, The Belles of Liscarroll 12 Farewell to Ireland, The Maid in the Cherry Tree, The Mistress of the House

Order CD now ::: €20 free p&p worldwide

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Kitty Lie Over

:: Released on ACM Records:: :: Released July 2003 :: :: ACM CD 102 :: Mick O'Brien: uilleann pipes, whistle Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: fiddle, whistle Tracklist: 1 Kitty Lie Over / Munster Buttermilk 2 Teampall an Ghleanntáin / Hickey's 3 Mickey Callaghan's Slide / Winnie Hayes' Jig 4 Biddy from Sligo / Punch for the Ladies 5 Woman of the House / Rolling in the Ryegrass 6 An Manglam / The Fairy Reel / I Have No Money 7 Rathawaun / The Hare in the Corn 8 The Sporting Pitchfork / The Rambling Pitchfork 9 The Lady on the Island / Seanbhean na gCártaí 10 Young Tom Ennis / The Rose in the Heather 11 An Londubh 12 The Copper Plate / Paddy Gone to France / The Wind that Shakes the Barley 13 Dillon Brown / Sarah Hobbs 14 Na Ceannabháin Bhána / Máirseáil Alasdruim / Munster Buttermilk 15 The Silver Spear / Mullin's Fancy

Order CD now ::: €18 free p&p worldwide

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A Moment of Madness

:: An IrishMusic.Net Record:: :: Released July 2010 :: :: IMdN CD BR01 :: Brendan Begley: button accordion, melodeon Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: fiddle, hardanger Tracklist: 1 Dhá Pholca Dálaigh 2 Cronin's Slippery Jig 3 Seán Keane's / The Ardgroom Polka 4 An Chéad Mháirt den Fhomhair / Na Gamhna Geala 5 The Humours of Lisheen / The Munster Jig / Seán Coughlin's 6 Tá Dhá Gabhairín Buí Agam / The Glen Cottage / I'll Tell Me Ma 7 Máirseáil Uí Shúilleabháin or O'Sullivan's March 8 Eileen O'Neill / The Chancellor or Father Dollard's / The Frisco or Walshe's Hornpipe 9 An Buachaill Caol Dubh / On Book Hill: Quail Dove (or Debut Kill) / I Wish I Had a Kerry Cow 10 Tonn Cliodhna / An Seanchaí Muimhneach 11 The Green Cottage / The Glin Cottage / Julia's Norwegian Polka 12 The P&O Polka

Order CD now ::: €18 free p&p worldwide

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Where the One-Eyed Man is King

:: A www.stateofchassis.com Record:: :: Released in Spring 2007 :: :: Chassis No. 10001001:: Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: hardanger, fiddle, whistle, flute, piano Tracklist: 1 it's all about the rhythm of her toes 2 fead an iolar 3 the mole man of hackney 4 march of the one-legged dog 5 síocháin 6 braes of balquidder 7 dún do shúil 8 wild goose chase 9 the bright and shining 10 the old waltz

Order CD now ::: €16 free p&p worldwide

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Comb Your Hair and Curl It

:: Released on MOO Records :: :: Released July 2010 :: :: CD MOO 333 :: Catherine McEvoy: flute Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: fiddle Mícheál Ó Raghallaigh: concertina Tracklist: 1. Reels: Boys of the Lough / Devils of Dublin / Reel with the Beryl 2. Hop Jigs: The Foxhunter's / Comb Your Hair and Curl It 3. Reels: Throw It Across the Road / Maid in the CHerry Tree / Jenny Picking Cockles 4. Jigs: I Buried my Wife and Danced on Top of Her / Petticoat Loose 5. Reels: Navvy on the Shore / Glen of Aherlow / Dublin Porter / Pinch of Snuff 6. Polkas: Roosky Polka / McDonagh's 7. Reels: The Tinker's Stick / Sunny Banks / The Virginia 8. Jigs: Mrs Galvin's / The Legacy 9. Hornpipe, Jig, March: An Buachaill Dreoite / Mairseail Ui Shuilleabhain 10. Slides: Cronin's / O'Keeffe's / Dawley's Delight 11. Reels: John Kelly's College Groves / Maids of Galway / The Templehouse 12. Jigs: John O'Mahony's / Pride of the West / The Pullet That Wants the Cock 13. Barndances: Mary Brennan's Favourite / Follow Me Down to Carlow / Fowler on the Moor 14. Reels: Larkin's Beehive / Road to Lisdoonvarna / The Dash to Portobello

Order CD now ::: €18 free p&p worldwide

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Triúr sa Draighean

:: Released by Peadar Ó Riada:: :: Released July 2010 :: :: CD POR 010 :: Peadar Ó Riada: concertina, accordion, whistle, tambura, voice Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: fiddle, hardanger, 5-string viola, whistle Martin Hayes: fiddle Tracklist: 1. Jearóid (Reel) 2. Cór An Earraigh (Jig) 3. Bob And Bernie (Reel) 4. John The Rookery (Single Jig) 5. Tráthann An Taoide (Song) 6. N'fheadar (Reel) 7. An Slide Dubh / Slide Do Caoimhín (Slides) 8. The County Hall Hornpipe 9. Polka Na Carraige Báine / Polka Do Martin (Polkas) 10. Spórt / Fiach (Jigs) 11. Ril Feabhra (Reel) 12. Waiting For Connie (Jig) 13. Ríl TG4 (Reel) 14. Three For Tunes (Jig) 15. An Laoch ó Loinsigh (Jig) 16. The Obama Reel

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Triúr Arís

:: Released by Peadar Ó Riada:: :: Released February 2012 :: :: CD POR 011 :: Peadar Ó Riada: concertina, accordion, whistle, tambura, voice, harpsichord Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: 5+5 hardanger fiddle, whistle Martin Hayes: fiddle Tracklist: 1 Is Cuma Liom 2 Cá bhfuil an Solas 3 Bullock on the Bonnet / The Hop Stores 4 Damhsa an tSuláin 5 Maith thú, a Mhuiris 6 Billy's Breakfast 7 Ceantar Glas Mhúscraí 8 Margaret Batt 9 Lily of the Valley 10 Kevin's Salute 11 Éigse Slide / Rubber Band's Brother 12 Esmerelda 13 Winter Hornpipe 14 An Braon Báistí 15 The Mouse's Reel 16 In Praise of Connie 17 Caoire Geala Bána 18 Harpsichord Louise

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Triúr Omós

:: Released by Peadar Ó Riada:: :: Released November 2013 :: :: CD POR 017 :: Peadar Ó Riada: concertina, accordion, whistle, tambura, voice Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: Hardanger d'Amore fiddle, whistle, flutes Martin Hayes: fiddle Tracklist: 1. West Clare Reel / East Clare Reel 2. Port Sadhbh 3. Thinking of Micho 4. Omós do Francie Mooney 5. The Wonder of Fahy 6. The Mighty Mick / Travelling with Tubridy 7. Three Airs to Communion 8. Máirseáil MacMahon 9. In Praise of the Dwyers 10. The Three Legs in the Air Polkas - Duibhneach, Luachrach is Muscraíoch 11. The Titanic Falls 12. The Kathleen Waltz 13. Reverence for Reavy 14. Aoibhinn Bheith Beo

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Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh & Thomas Bartlett

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: hardanger d'amore Thomas Bartlett: piano

Tracklist: 1 kestrel 2 strange vessels 3 all good things 4 zona rosa 5 wanderer 6 open shelter 7 we thought we knew 8 my darling asleep 9 further than memory

Order CD now ::: €15 free p&p worldwide

This record was released on Realworld Records in September 2019

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Upcoming Shows

Presskit

Useful stuff for the wonderful people who put on concerts for me

photo by

Con Kelleher

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photo by

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh

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photo by

Con Kelleher

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