1. Jenny's Wedding / The Old Bush/Scotch Mary
2. Cailleach an Airgid / The Cat in the Corner/ The Looharadhawn's Jig
3. The Road to Cashel / Salthill Prom
4. The Providence / The Eel in the Sink / The Culfada
5. A Roll of the Dice / A Fig for a Kiss
6. The Showman's Fancy / Free as a Bird
7. Dinny O'Brien's / Farewell to Connaught/ The Gravel Walks
8. Farewell to Jim / That's More of It
9. The Jug of Punch / Sergeant Early's Dream
10. McGlinchey's / McFadden's Handsome Daughter/ I Have no Money
11. The Humours of Bandon / Planxty Maggie Brown
12. The Glen of Aherlow / Ril Bhearra / The Green Fields of Glentown
13. The Bird in the Bush / The Longford Tinker

Press Reviews

Dirty Linen Reviews. 01/02

Mick Conneely was born in England of Irish parents and grew up in a musical environment. Indeed, his greatest influence was his father, who is heard here on a great set of duos. Conneely plays with an almost fierce attack but great melodic subtlety, and it is curious to note that, while his style defies regional categorisation, it has a very old - fashioned feel to it. Not that there's anything obvious about the music on this impressive debut: Conneely is as convincing with a quirky slip-jig as with a finger busting reel. His ear for a good tune is matched by his desire to pass on as much information about them as he can. In fact, all three of these releases are graced with superb liner notes, and all should be eagerly sought by lovers of Irish Music. Duck Baker

The Living Tradition

Another young fiddler with an impressive CV is Mick Conneely. Mick was eleven when he began lessons with Brendan Mulkere who arranged for him to meet and play with major figures of Irish music. Later he was a founding member of the band, Long Acre, with whom he recorded. Since then he has toured Scandanavia, Europe and the US with Mary Bergin, De Danann, Micho Russell AND Tony MacMahon.

It is obvious that a lot of care and attention has gone into this recording. The result is an album of robust, atmospheric and exciting fiddle music of outstanding quality.

Selkie also features Mick's father on fiddle and Niall O'Callanain on bouzouki, whose contributions add nicely to the feel of the album.

I highly recommend all of these albums to any enthusiast of fiddle music from whatever tradition. One warning though, with rumours of more gems to come your interest could become expensive. Danny Saunders.

East Bay Express Dec/01 The Best Records of '01 Mick Conneely Selkie Clo Iar Chonnachta CICD 148

It's been a great year for Irish music, with veterans like Tony MacMahon and Seamus Creagh producing stunning discs rivaled by such newer faces as John Wynne, John Carty and Johnny Connolly.

I could argue for any of the above against my choice of Mick Conneely's, Selkie, but it would be hard going because this young fiddler has done so many things right, He's firmly rooted in the music, having learned from his father, who is heard here on a great set of duos. Conneely plays with an almost fierce attack, but great melodic subtlety; while his style defies regional categorisation, it still has a very old-fashioned feel. Duck Baker

Fiddle On Magazine Review Oct/Nov 2001

This fiddle album was recently in the top ten of traditional music CDs as reported to Mike Harding's Radio 2 programme by Dublin record shops.

No gimmicks, no Far Eastern tunes or rhythms, this is pure Irish traditional fiddle.

The sleeve notes don't assign Mick to any particular regional style. Although Frankie Gavin is cited as a favourite fiddler Mick's playing is a lot edgier with plenty of strong single bows, and he gets really spiky on the Donegal tunes such as "The Gravel Walks".

The extensive sleeve notes tell where the tunes can be found. Eighteen of them can be found in classic tune books sucha s O'Neill's Music of Ireland and Ryan's Mammoth Collection; four are simply from the tradition; twelve are by modern writers including Charlie Lennon and Tommy Peoples; and there is one O'Carolan piece.

Mick is no mindless speed merchant; he's willing to take reels at a canter rather than a gallop where it suits the tune. The disc includes a gentle set of reels played on fiddle by Mick's father, accompanied by son on a zingy bouzouki, and they duets delightfully on one track. Niall O'Callanain provides effective but unobtrusive bouzouki support whenever needed.

I might have said that such a pure fiddle album would be of narrow appeal, but this is an excellent CD, and well worth hearing. Tom Bell - Richards.

The Irish Voice Review

In Irish legend, a selkie was a creature half-seal and half-human. On land, a selkie could shed the seal skin and pass for a man or woman. If the skin was lost, however, the selkie was trapped in human form. If the stories they tell in Connemara are true, the Conneely clan are descended from some of these magical beings. If there is some kind of magic in the Conneelys of Errislannan near Clifden, it is a very musical sort of spell. Mick Conneely, Sr., like his father Máirtin before him, is a highly regarded fiddler. The long-time resident of Bedford, England is better known these days, however, as the father of tin whistle player Kathleen Conneely, tenor banjo players Bernie and Pauline Conneely, and fiddler Mick Conneely, Jr. Mick, Jr. is the topic this week as he has just released his first recording, Selkie, on Ireland's Cló Iar-Chonnachta label. This may be a debut recording, but Mick's reputation as a musician has been growing for many years. Glowing tributes in the liner notes from Chieftains flute great Matt Molloy and Donegal fiddle star Paddy Glackin attest to the regard in which he is held by his fellow musicians. Some American fans may remember him as the fiddler who stepped in to replace an injured Frankie Gavin for a De Dannan tour a few years ago. Others, in England, Ireland and the Continent, have been lucky enough to hear him perform with his group Errislannan. The rest of us can now enjoy Mick Conneely's distinctive style, superb technique and impeccable good taste on disc. A solo track featuring Mick Sr. gives some clue to the origin of the son's style. Both fiddlers play with a nicely measured pace and with a very straightforward rhythm that avoids the excessive swing and backbeat popular among many young hotshots. Mick Jr. has an extraordinary bow hand, playing with a very strong tone and with a great facility for bowed triplets. The tunes he chose are for the most part timeless classics to which he gives his own unique interpretation. Mick is obviously a bit of a music scholar as his notes include correct tune titles, composer credits and references to their history in print. Bouzouki ace Niall Ó Callanáin provides nicely textured and understated backing, venturing some modern jazz harmony on the final selection, an intriguing reworking of the reels "The Bird in the Bush" and "The Longford Tinker." Don Meade

Traditional Music Maker Magazine Oct/Nov 2001

I can personally attest to the excellence of the fiddle playing within Mick Conneely's, SELKIE. Mick was born in Bedford, but of Irish parents, and his father is accomplished on the instrument as well. This is Mick's debut release, a superb fiddle album, but given that he's toured with the likes of De Dannan in the past, the man is certainly no slouch. Essentially, the CD features Mick's traditional fiddle, very up front and to the fore, with just a modicum of instrumental accompaniment. It should appeal to students, players and fans of traditional playing alike.

Irish Music Magazine Oct 2001

The root of the interesting title on this debut album is based on an Irish legend that the Conneely's come from the seals, and the word means "half woman, half seal".

Mick Conneely displays his personal style of music on this album, honed from his own family tradition and the knowledge and influence gleaned over the years listening to musicians visiting his home in Bedfordshire in England, trips t London, Ireland and further afield.

The music here is bare bones with accompaniment from Niall O' Callanain on bouzouki and the addition of Mick Conneely senior, himself a fine fiddler and the greatest influence of all on his son's music.

Mick himself plays Greek bouzouki too in accompaniment to his father's rich solo set of reels. Impeccable history and notes accompany all the track on this well compiled collection.

Some tunes stand out; the duet with his father Mick snr, the hornpipes, The Showman's Fancy and the complex Free as a Bird is quite breathtaking. Mick has chosen four of Carl Hession's compositions to feature on the album and the pair of jigs, Farewell to Jim/That's More of It" sing out and swing.

Mick's own solo on McGlinchey's Reel is perhaps the best track to my mind. Ita Kelly

Taplas Review Oct/Nov 2001

Mick Conneely's first solo album has already joins Kevin Crawford's recent offering on my top five traditional CDs of 2001.

It's everything a classic fiddle recording should be, carrying echoes from the past in his duets with his father, Mick senior, acknowledging the influences of the likes of Frankie Gavin as well as displaying an individual character that looks to the future.

Distinctive triplets are a particular trademark and both the selection of tunes and their execution are a joy to listen to.

Mick in also a fine exponent of the Greek bouzouki (as opposed to the flat-back hybrid) and his accompaniments are a pleasure, inviting comparisons with the classic recording Gavin and Alec Finn made in the 70s. Elsewhere, he's joined accompanied by ex- Deisal bouzouki player, Niall O'Callanian.

A brilliant and highly recommended CD. Nick Passmore.Born in Bedford, England, of Irish parents, Mick was immersed in Irish music from a very early age. His father, Mick senior, who came from Errislannan near Clifden, is a fine fiddle player and the Conneely home in Bedford was always filled with the sound of great Irish music, dancing and singing.

Mick began formal lessons in Irish music at the age of eleven with the legendary Clare musician and teacher, Brendan Mulkere. Building on the foundation laid down by Brendan's teaching, the young Conneelys learned tunes from their father, from records and tapes and from the many musicians who regularly visited the house. As Mick got older he travelled to sessions all over England meeting with other great musicians, and it was at one such weekly session in Birmingham that Mick met Joe Molloy, Brendan Boyle and Kevin Crawford with whom he formed the group LONG ACRE. They recorded one album in 1986.

Since the mid eighties Mick has toured extensively, particularly in Scandinavia where he toured with many musicians including Mary Bergin and De Danann. During the early nineties Mick guested on a number of occasions with De Danann both in Europe and in the US, and in 1993 he was part of that memorable 'Pure Irish Drops' tour with the legendary Micho Russell and Tony MacMahon.

In 1992, while touring Denmark with Mary Bergin, Mick met Danish bodhrán player Svend Kjeldsen who arranged a tour of Denmark for the following year with Mick, accordion player Brendan Boyle, singer/guitarist Seámus Cahill from Cork, and Svend himself. This was the start of ErrisLannan, Mick's own band project and in 1998 they released their first album 'All About TIME' on the German Raumer Records label.

In 1999 Mick recorded 'SELKIE' which also features his father Mick senior on fiddle and bouzouki player Niall Ó Callanáin.

The entire album was recorded 'live' in Studio Schauf in Berlin, and the result is a wonderfully warm and expressive debut album from an outstanding young musician.