Gleann Nimhe – The Poison Glen

Gleann Nimhe
Studio album by Altan
Released	28 February 2012 & 8 March 2012 9 March 2012[1] 12 March 2012[1]
Recorded	April 2011-January 2012[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] by Billy Robinson at The Steeples Studios, Ramelton, Ireland Additional recordings: by Manus Lunny at Stiúidió na Mara, An Bhráid, Tír Chonaill, Na Rosa (The Rosses), Co. Donegal, Ireland by Alwyn Walker at Westlands Studios, Dublin, Ireland & by John Walker at The Villa, Savage, Minnesota, USA
Genre	Celtic
Length	51:56
Label	Compass Records (US) Keltia (France)
Producer	Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh & Altan
Altan chronology
25th Anniversary Celebration (2010) Gleann Nimhe – The Poison Glen (2012) The Widening Gyre (2015)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
PopMatters

Gleann Nimhe – The Poison Glen is the eleventh studio album by Irish folk music group Altan and their tenth studio album of original material, released in late February / early March 2012 on the Compass Records label.^[9]

Overview

Presentation

This is the first studio album of original material to be released by Altan in (exactly) 7 years (since the release of Local Ground on 1 March 2005).

About the album title

Gleann Nimhe is the Irish name of an area located around Dún Lúiche, Contae Dún na nGall, Éire (Dunlewey, County Donegal, Ireland) made of deep glens and lakes. In English, it means "The Heavenly Glen" or "The Poison Glen" (also written "The Poisoned Glen").^[10]

About the tracks

The album features An Ghealóg, a song composed by Martin Tourish who would later join the band replacing Dermot Byrne, temporarily starting from the extensive Fall 2013 (mostly) German tour and permanently since Dermot Byrne's departure from the band in early 2014.

Critical reception

On 22 April 2012, Gleann Nimhe – The Poison Glen received a six-star album review (out of 10) from PopMatters's music critic John L. Murphy, stating: «Shifting somewhat away from its Narada-label leanings of a decade back into New Age-inflected stylings, this Compass Records release offers a more traditional delivery of tunes, reliable in their familiar conjuring of their Northwestern Irish heritage. At its best, this recalls their standout albums originally released in America on the Green Linnet Records label.»^[11]

On 16 December 2015, "Beyond Tunes" blog critic Eros Faulk made the tune "Tommy Potts' Slip Jig" one of his three "tracks of the month December 2015" (out of the blog's seven "tracks of the month"), stating: «One of the greatest Donegal groups strikes again with this exceptional track. It’s only one tune, yet they make it quite interesting. The third time through in the second part, Dermot Byrne (accordion) does backup, and it carries into the next time. Then fiddlers Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Ciaran Tourish do a wonderful fiddle harmony/backup before going back to melody and ending this tune, all the way the wonderful accompanists doing amazing backup.»^[12]

Track listing

1. "A Fig for a Kiss/The Turf Cutter" - 2.47 (Slip Jigs)
2. "Seolta Geala" - 3.59 (Song)
3. "The Ardara Girls/The Backdoor Highlands/Fáscadh Mo Léine (The Wringing of my Shirt)/Reel in A/Ciarán Tourish's Reel" - 6.05 (Highlands and Reels) (sometimes called "The Ardara Set")
4. "An Ghealóg" - 4.57 (Song)
5. "Caitlín Triall" - 3.22 (Song)
6. "The New Rigged Ship/Eddie Curran's/The Monaghan Twig/Kitty the Hare" - 4.27 (Reels)
7. "The Blackest Crow" - 4.50 (Song)
8. "The Lancers Jig/The Further in the Deeper" - 3.11 (Also known as "John Doherty's Jigs"^{[nb 1]})
9. "The Lily of the West" - 4.33 (Song)
10. "The Wheels of the World" - 4.03 (Reel)
11. "Cailín Deas Crúite na mBó" - 4.23 (Song)
12. "Tommy Potts' Slip Jig" - 2.48
13. "The House at the Corner" - 2.31 (Tune)

See tune identifications for this album at irishtune.info.

Credits

Produced by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Altan.

Recorded at The Steeples Studios, Ramelton, Co. Donegal, Ireland by Billy Robertson.

Additional recordings by:

• Manus Lunny at Stiúidió na Mara ("Seafront Studio"), An Bhráid, Na Rosa, Co. Dhún na nGall (Donegal), Ireland,
• Alwyn Walker at Westlands Studios, Dublin, Ireland and
• John Walker at The Villa, Savage, Minnesota, USA.

Mixed by Billy Robinson, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Altan, except track #1, mixed by Alwyn Walker, Billy Robinson, Ciarán Tourish and Altan.

Mastered by Terry McGinty at Valley Studios, Ballybofey, Co. Donegal.

All tracks traditional, arranged by Altan except:

• "The Turf Cutter" - composed by Paddy O'Brien (of Daingean, Co. Offaly, and Saint Paul, Minnesota, in honor of his late father Christy O'Brien);
• "Seolta Geala" (a sea shanty) - translated by Proinsias Ó Maonaigh (Francie Mooney, Mairéad's late father);
• "Ciarán Tourish's Reel" - composed by (late Cape Breton fiddler) Jerry Holland and Dougie McDonald;
• "An Ghealóg" - composed by Martin Tourish;
• "The Blackest Crow" - melody by (American musician) Pete Sutherland, words traditional;
• "Tommy Potts' Slip Jig" - composed by Tommy Potts;
• "The House at the Corner" - composed by Dáithí Sproule;

Track notes (excerpts)

• 1: the first slip jig "A Fig for a Kiss" is well known all over Ireland and is also a lovely Gaelic song: "Ólaimis Sláinte na mBan".
• 3: the Highlands and Reels medley was sometimes entitled "The Pretty Young Girls from Ardara Set" by some web sites when the album was released.
• 5: the song "Caitlín Triall" is also known as "Ceataí na gCraobh" and was published in Céad de Cheolta Uladh in 1915.
• 8: "The Lancers Jig/The Further in the Deeper" are two jigs from the playing of legendary Donegal fiddle player John Doherty.
• 9: the song "The Lily of the West" is here Róise Nic Grianna's version of the well-known American ballad. This song and arrangement was brought to the band by Dáithí Sproule.
• 11: "Cailín Deas Crúite na mBó" which means "The Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow" is a very old popular air.
• 12: Tommy Potts was a fiddle player born in the Liberties in Dublin.

Live performances

Altan played live in concert the following tracks: "A Fig for a Kiss/The Turf Cutter", "Seolta Geala", "The Ardara Set", "An Ghealóg", "Caitlín Triall", "The New Rigged Ship/Eddie Curran's/The Monaghan Twig/Kitty the Hare", "The Blackest Crow" & "The Lancers Jig/The Further in the Deeper".

Personnel

Altan

• Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh – Fiddle, Vocals
• Ciarán Tourish – Fiddle, Whistle, Backing vocals
• Dermot Byrne – Accordion
• Ciarán Curran – Bouzouki, Mandolin
• Mark Kelly – Guitar, Bouzouki, Backing Vocals
• Dáithí Sproule – Guitar, Backing Vocals

Guest musicians

• Jim Higgins - Bodhrán (on tracks #1, #4, #6, #8 and #10), Snare Drum (on track #9), Percussion (on tracks #10 & #12)
• Harry Bradley - Flute (on tracks #1, #4, #6 and #13)

Notes

1. As these jigs are from the playing of John Doherty, according to Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh who introduced this track that way on stage during a concert on 15 May 2012 in Lyon, France.

References

1. Tradschool / Altan / New album / Gleann Nimhe
2. altanofficial on Facebook / Post du 17 avril 2011, 15:06
3. altanofficial on Facebook / Post on 26 April 2011, 11:34
4. altanofficial on Facebook / Post on 26 June 2011, 04:56
5. twitter.com / altanmusic Post on 27 November 2011 23:17
6. altanofficial on Facebook / Post on 16 December 2011, 03:59
7. twitter.com / altanmusic Posts on 9 January 2012 20:54 & 20:58
8. altanofficial on Facebook / Post on 9 January 2012, 11:58
9. Emigrant Online / The Irish Emigrant - Articles / Altan returns with new album, US tour
10. "Scott C. Curran's photograph "The Poison Glen, Dunlewey, Donegal, Ireland"". Flickr. 14 February 2015. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
11. "Gleann Nimhe – The Poison G". PopMatters. 22 April 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
12. "Tracks Of The Month December 2015 – Eros' Picks: Tommy Potts' Slip Jig". beyondtunesblog.wordpress.com. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 29 February 2016.

External links

• Official recording page
• Official Altan website
• Official Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh website