About John Rea
Born in 1915 (some sources say 1922), John was the youngest of ten children. His six older brothers were all taught to play the fiddle by his father. However, as he was too small, his father had a dulcimer made by John's brother Alexander (a carpenter), using a borrowed dulcimer as a pattern, and that became John's instrument. This instrument was in turn used as the pattern for many other instruments made for other local people. In contrast to the wooden hammers generally employed by today's players
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Top Tracks
Coil The Hawser / Lord Macdonald - Reels
Highlands: Whistle O'er the Lave O't/The Braes of Tulimet and Reel: Scudding Through the Whins
The Belfast Hornpipe / The Rights Of Man
Whistle O'er the Lave O' It / The Braes Of Tullimet / Scudding Through The Whins
Little Circus of Horrors
Highlands: Whistle O'er the Lave O't / The Braes of Tulimet and Reel: Scudding Through the Whins
The Three Sea Captains
Techno Techno!
Set Dance: The Three Sea Captains
Reels: the Sailor on the Rope / The Bonny Bunch of Roses
The Ladies Of France / Jackson's Trip To Aughrim / Jackson's Return From Dover
Groove Thang
Jigs: Bundle and Go / The Jug O' Punch
Jigs: the Kinnegad Slashers / The Tenpenny Bit
Treppenmusik
Hornpipes: the Belfast Hornpipe / The Rights of Man
Reels: the Galway Reel / Dinny O'brien's Reel
Jig and Strathspey: Kitty's Fancy / Lady Anne Hope
The Plains Of Boyle / Jackson's Slippers
Jigs: the Ladies of France / Jackson's Trip to Aughrim / Jackson's Return from Dover
Hornpipe and Jig: the Plains of Boyle / Jackson's Slippers
Reels: the Boys of Ballycastle / The Five Mile Heat
The Mountain Hornpipe / The Kingston Hornpipe
Reels: Roaring Mary / Tim Moloney
Roaring Mary / Tim Moloney
Set Dance and Highland: St Patrick's Day / Duncan Davidson
Reels: The Galway Reel/Dinny O'brien's Reel
The Belfast Hornpipe - The Rights Of Man
Jigs: The Ladies of France/Jackson's Trip to Aughrim/Jackson's Return from Dover
St Patrick's Day / Duncan Davidson
Hornpipes: the Mountain Hornpipe / The Kingston Hornpipe
The Mountain Lark/Crooked Road to Dublin (Reels)
Portrait of a Man In Elysian Fields
The Belfast Hornpipe/The Rights of Man
An Buachaill Caol Dubh (The Dark Slender Boy) [Air] Drops of Brandy [Slip Jig]
Moloney's/Paddy O'brien's (Jigs)
Coil the Hawser/Lord Mcdonald (Reels)
Live Forever
Kitty's Fancy / Lady Anne Hope
St. Patrick's Day/Duncan Davidson
Crowley's No. 1 & 2 (Reels)
Blind Mary (Air)
Madame Bonaparte/O'dwyer's Hornpipe (Hornpipes)
Alexandria's/Higgin's (Hornpipes)
The Sligo Maid/Sheehan's (Reels)
Jigs: Bundle and Go/The Jug O' Punch
Reels: The Boys of Ballycastle/The Five Mile Heat
The Maid in the Meadow/The Castlebar Races/Trip to the Cottage (Jigs)
First House in Connaught/The Copperplate (Reels)
Jackson's Drum/Jackson's Mistake/Jackson's Coagy (Jigs)
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