House Don't Fall on MeThis is the story of a young boy growing up in the West Kerry Gaeltacht in the 1940s and 1950s. It describes the fun and games of his schooldays, his accordion playing for ceilis as a teenager, his emigration to London unknown to his parents, his meeting up with his brother and working there, his further emigration to Chicago and his marriage and eventual return to Ireland. Maidhc Dainin describes how the musicians he played with in Chicago lost their hearts and minds in the music. He describes piano playing, accordion playing and fiddle playing and the music (and the craic!) is resonant from his descriptions. Maidhc Dainin's Irish is colloquial, conversational and without any airs and graces. |
Contents
Section 1 | 5 |
Section 2 | 8 |
Section 3 | 13 |
Section 4 | 22 |
Section 5 | 29 |
Section 6 | 34 |
Section 7 | 41 |
Section 8 | 47 |
Section 16 | 131 |
Section 17 | 139 |
Section 18 | 150 |
Section 19 | 157 |
Section 20 | 166 |
Section 21 | 176 |
Section 22 | 182 |
Section 23 | 188 |
Section 9 | 62 |
Section 10 | 78 |
Section 11 | 90 |
Section 12 | 100 |
Section 13 | 106 |
Section 14 | 111 |
Section 15 | 124 |
Section 24 | 194 |
Section 25 | 201 |
Section 26 | 209 |
Section 27 | 217 |
Section 28 | 223 |
Common terms and phrases
accordion asked Baile Ghainnín ball Ballydavid called Camden Town canoe canoe race Castleisland céilí Christmas cigarette Colm coming couple craic croke Park Dainín dance devil Dingle ditch Dónall door drink Eileen enquired eyes face father Fenit football Frank front gave girl going half hall hand head heard Holy Mary inspector Ireland Irish Jeannie Joe Cooley jumped Kathleen Kerry knew knocked landlady laughing legs Lispole Listen looked Máirín Mike O'Shea Moorestown morning mother Mount Brandon mouth Muiríoch musician night Oh wisha Pádraig Páidí playing pocket replied road Saturday Seán sears roebuck shouted shovel side sitting smoke started story street talking teacher Tech tell There's thing thought told Tom McCarthy took Tralee tunes Twas waiting walked week woman Woodgreen Yerra