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Fuair Séamas Ó Broine bás.

Bhí fidléir iomrá idirnáisúinta ar Séamas Ó Broine ann. Fuair sé bás go deireanach. Chuir mo chara Dónal orm a ghriangraf dó ina tigh tabhairne Mhag Robartaigh. Sheinm Ó Brioine fidléir go dona. Tá clann Brionneach ina chónai faoin tuath i gceantar Mhín na Crois in aice leis Gleann Cholm Cille i gContae Dún na Gall ann.

Bhí Seán an athair Shéamais go raibh fidléir freisin. Bhí cáil mhór air fós. Léanim mo threoirleabhar Ghleann go bhfuil "traidisíun fada fidléireachta in iardheisceart Thír Chonaill, go háirithe i nGleann Cholm Cille. Deirtear go raibh fidíl in ngach teach i Mín na Croise ag tús na 1900í! Stíl ghasta, ionsaitheach, gan órnádiocht a chleachtann fidléirí na Ghleanna agus bíonn siad le cloisteáil i rith na bliana ag seisiúin sna tithe leanna"-- go raibh go hiondúil Mhag Robartaigh.

"Tá ceirnín aonair eisithe aige, mar tá" "An Bóthar ar Glenn Locha." Cheannaigh mé seo agus an dara céann ag an síopa leabhair na hOideas Gael. "Cloistear fosta é i gcuideachta" Uinseann Mac Cathmhaoil, Con Ó Cathasaigh, agus Pronsiagh Ó Broine ar "An Fidíl Práis."

D'fhoglaim mé go raibh sna 1800í lucht siúil tarraingt ar Ghleann. Dhíol siad "soithí stáin sa lá agus ag ceartú ceoil san oíche. Bhí an oiread sin airde ar an cheol acu go mba ghnách leo fidleacha stáin a dhéanamh chun cuidiú leis an mhuintir óg an fhidléireacht a fhoglaim go furasta. Bhí na huirlisí miotail sin ní ba shaoire ná na gnáthuirlisí adhmaid agus b'fhusa i bhfad bail a chur orthu dá mbrisfí iad!"

Chuala mé an duine uasal Ó Broine, leis Dónal agus mac leinn eile de Oideas Gael, nuair chuir mé cuairt ag Mhag Robartaigh faoi Lúnasa ar feadh an samraidh arú anuraidh. Níl fhíos agam má sheinm Ó Broine féin leis na fidléireachtaí cáiliúilaí sa chontae nuair ag tagtha siad an ócáid a cheiliúradh ag Oideas Gael. Bhí me ansin. Shúimím(?) ar an chéad rang ann!

Rinne siad céilí ómós a thabhairt Chon Ó Cathasaigh Theillean. Chuaigh Con ar ais Séamus féin i mbás. Go dtuga Dia suaimhneas dá anam.

James Byrne died.

James Byrne was considered an internationally renowned fiddle player. Death took him recently. My friend Dan sent to me his photograph of him at Roarty's public house. Byrne played (music) on the fiddle boldly. The Byrnes lived in the countryside district of Meenacross near Glencolmcille in County Donegal.

James' father John was a fiddler too. He was renowned also. I am reading in my guidebook of the Glen that there's "a long fiddle tradition in southwest Tirconnell (=the Land of the O'Connells), especially around Glencolmcille. It's said that there was no house without a fiddle in Meenacross at the start of the 1900s!" It's a sudden style, attacking, without ornamentation that's practiced by the fiddlers of the Glen and they (customarily) can be heard throughout the year at sessions in ale houses-- usually Roarty's.

"There is a solo record with his fellow musicians, that is" "The Road to Glenlough." I bought this and the second one from the Oideas Gael bookshop. "He can also be heard with" (=accompanied by?) Vincent Campbell, Con Cassidy, and Francie Ó Byrne on "The Brass Fiddle."

I learned that in the 1800s travellers were drawn to the Glen. They sold tin goods by day and composed music by night. They loved music so much that they made tin fiddles so that these could help with the young schoolchildren learning fiddling more easily. Those metal instruments were not as dear as metal-made instruments and they were far easier to fix if they were broken!

I heard Mr Byrne, with Dan and the other students from Oideas Gael, when I paid a visit to Roarty's in August during the summer before last. I don't know if Byrne himself played with the famed fiddlers of the county when they came to celebrate the occasion at Oideas Gael. I was there. I sat in the front row!

They made a musical gathering to give honor to Con Cassidy of Teilinn. Con preceded James into death. May God rest their souls.