# Donegal (album)

Donegal is the fourteenth studio album by Irish folk music group Altan and their thirteenth studio album of original material, released in March 2024 on the Compass Records label.

## Background

This was the first studio album of original material to be released by Altan in exactely six years, since the release of The Gap of Dreams in March 2018, the longest gap between two Altan's studio albums (and the second longest gap between two Altan's albums of original material, the first longest gap being between 2005's Local Ground and 2012's Gleann Nimhe – The Poison Glen). This is also the first Altan album to feature new comer Clare Friel on fiddle, viola and vocals following its arrival in the band as a replacement of former band member Ciarán Tourish, at first as a guest musician for the Autumn 2022 and Spring 2023 US tours, then as a permanent member in July 2023.
Donegal captures the essence of the region that has inspired Altan from the very beginning. It is a tribute to the rich musical heritage of their native land. Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh's ethereal vocals breathe life into songs like "Liostáil mé le Sáirsint" and "The Barley and the Rye." Alongside her, Clare Friel adds her own remarkable voice and fiery twin fiddle playing, infusing the tracks with an irresistible energy. The collaboration of Dáithí Sproule, Mark Kelly, and Ciarán Curran completes Altan's musical tribute. Special guests like Jim Higgins, Steve Cooney, and Graham Henderson enrich the album, adding layers of depth and texture to Altan's evocative sound.

## Recording

Donegal was recorded by Manus Lunny amidst the rugged beauty of County Donegal at Stiúideo na Mara (“Seafront Studio”), An Bhráid, Tír Chonaill, Na Rosa (The Rosses), County Donegal, Ireland

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| FolkAlley.com | very favourable |
| NewReleasesNow.com | very favourable |
| FolkWorks.org | very favourable |
Donegal received positive reviews from a number of magazines and websites.
Website FolkAlley.com's music critic Henry Carrigan gave the new album a warm review, stating: "Donegal captures the pensive, the melancholy, and the jubilant in Altan's exuberant jigs and reels and in their tender, evocative, and playful ballads and songs."
The music website NewReleasesNow.com also gave the new album a warm review, stating: "In traditional Irish music, Altan stands as a beacon of authenticity and brilliance, channeling the soul of their native County Donegal onto the global stage for over three decades. On their latest album, Donegal, Altan once again mesmerizes audiences with a heartfelt homage to their roots, celebrating the rich tapestry of Donegal's musical heritage, its stunning landscapes, and vibrant culture. Altan's unmistakable sound is beautifully encapsulated, weaving together Irish-language ballads and dynamic twin-fiddling that have become synonymous with the band. Through ten captivating tracks, listeners are transported to a bygone era in rural Ireland, where the music echoes the rhythm of life itself while seamlessly bridging the gap between past traditions and modern sensibilities. [...] With Donegal, Altan reaffirms their status as custodians of Ireland's cultural legacy, honoring the region's musical heritage while enchanting audiences around the globe with their timeless melodies and infectious rhythms."
Website FolkWorks.org's music critic Shea Gaier also gave the new album a warm review, stating: "I have been listening to Altan for a vast majority of my young life, and I’ve seen Altan evolve through the years. Their new album called Donegal reaches back into the past, emphasizes the present, and provides an excellent foundation for the future of the band. [...] This album may only have ten tracks but it certainly doesn’t disappoint. It is a jam packed album that shows Altan's connections to the past while bringing in a lot of newly written material. It shows how deeply they care about their roots, and how they bring the tradition into the future."

## Track by track review and notes

Sources
The album's tunes are mostly written in Irish Gaeilge (the native language of Ireland). This reflects the origins of the band, emphasizing that the album is heavily North Donegal influenced (which explains the lack of highlands, barndances, and mazurkas).
* track #1: Altan reaches into their own past, re-recording the traditional reel "The Yellow Tinker" that they had previously recorded on their second album, The Red Crow. It is played slower here than in the original recording, encompassing every member of the band's skills. Indeed, on this new Altan's version of this tune, "Ciarán Curran's bouzouki lines provide the melodic thread around which all the group's other instruments weave a colorful musical quilt, captur[ing] the tune's poignant beauty."
* track #2: on the ethereal piece "Liostáil mé le Sáirsint" that evokes a soldier's longing for home, layers of cascading piano notes and silvery guitar movements flow under Mairead Ní Mhaonaigh's lilting ethereal vocals. It features Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh's vocals and shows off her versatility beautifully.
* track #3: this medley entitled "The Donegal Selection: An Bóthar Mór/Tommy Peoples' Reel/Is Cuma Liom" is a beautiful reel set which features some great traditional northern tunes at a great pace, including a Tommy Peoples's tune. This track is definitely in tune with the tradition of Donegal especially since a documentary about the late Tommy Peoples came out in early 2024.
* track #4: in Altan's transportive rendering of Máirtín Ó Direáin's traditional poem "Faoiseamh a Gheobhadsa" (which was set to music by fiddler Zoe Conway and her husband, guitarist John McIntyre), Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh and Clare Friel share vocals. Clare Friel's wraithlike vocals convey the yearning for peace. This is definitely a great way to cement Clare's status as a band member. With her fiery twin fiddle playing, she infuses "Faoiseamh a Gheobhadsa" with an irresistible energy. The musical setting of the song captures the wild beauty of the natural surroundings in which the singer finds solace from the chaotic desolation of an urban setting.
* track #5: On "Port Árainn Mhór/Port Kitty Rua Mooney," the only set of jigs on this album, both of which were composed by Mairead, the two jigs flow beautifully into each other and encompass much of the band's unique personal styles. Indeed, the slower, meditative rhythmic tempo of "Port Árainn Mhór" blossoms into the joyous up tempo of the tarantella-like "Port Kitty Rua Mooney," a tribute to her mother who's dancing into her 90s.
* track #6: This "House of Baoithín" medley of reels has four tunes brought to the album by Martin Tourish (the box accordion player of the band) that progressively get faster and higher resulting in a strong finish: measured fiddling opens "Miss Stewart's", the opening reel providing the thematic lines that run through the other two reels in the set: "Bonnie Annie" and "Hand Me Down the Tea Things". Twin fiddling sways and swoops on "Bonnie Annie", building note by note a frenetic pace until the final tune ends with a jubilant whirling and twirling. A composition by accordionist Martin Tourish, "House of Baoithín" pay homage to the ancient roots of Donegal's musical tradition.
* track #7: on the English track "The Barley And The Rye", Mairead Ní Mhaonaigh's gently flowing ethereal vocals tell the whimsical tale of a young farmer more attentive to his grain than to his wife frolicking with her lover in the barley and rye. It shows off her vocal diversity.
* track #8: This medley of reels truly shows off the whole band. The first tune of the track, "An Gasur Dana", features the fretted instruments (guitar and bouzouki via Daithi Sproule, Mark Kelly, and Ciaran Curran) and gracefully shows off their finger picking techniques. The set jumps into a tune called "An Ghirseach Dholba", where Mairead, Clare, and Martin (fiddles and box accordion respectively) take over the set, and then "Ríl na mBreac Beadaí", the final tune of the set features each member of the band coming together as one unit.
* track #9: "Gabhaim Molta Bríde" is a haunting song sung by Mairead continuing to show off her vocal range, and the band effectively focuses on that eerie tone.
* track #10: a perfect way to tie up the album, the final track in the album, the medley of reels defines what Donegal music is truly about: the tunes in the set reflect the diversity of northern Donegal music. The first tune in the set, "The Letterkenny Blacksmith", is commonly played in northern county Donegal and represents an underrepresented part of the tradition. The second tune, "John Doherty's Favourite", represents the southern Donegal tradition, a source for many of Altan's tunes. The final tune, "Scread na Bealtaine", was composed during the pandemic by Mairead Ni Mhaonigh and her daughter, Nia Ni Bhiern.

## Track listing

Source
* "The Yellow Tinker" (Slow Reel) – 3:03
* "Liostáil mé le Sáirsint" (Song #1) – 3:11
* "The Donegal Selection: An Bóthar Mór/Tommy Peoples' Reel/Is Cuma Liom" (Reels) – 3:24
* "Faoiseamh a Gheobhadsa" (Song #2) – 5:18
* "Port Árainn Mhór/Port Kitty Rua Mooney" (Jigs) – 3:30
* "The House of Baoithín Selection: Miss Stewart's/Bonnie Annie/ Hand Me Down The Tea Things/House of Baoithín" (Reels) – 3:54
* "The Barley And The Rye" (Song #3) – 3:18
* "An Gasúr Dána/An Ghirseach Dholba/Ríl na mBreac Beadaí" (Reels) – 4:08
* "Gabhaim Molta Bríde" (Song #4) – 4:29
* "The Letterkenny Blacksmith/John Doherty's Favourite/Scread na Bealtaine" (Reels) – 4:16

## Personnel

Source
* Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh – Vocals/Fiddle
* Ciarán Curran – Bouzouki/Mandolin
* Dáithí Sproule – Guitar
* Mark Kelly – Guitar/Backing Vocals
* Martin Tourish – Accordion
* Clare Friel – Fiddle/Viola/Vocals

### With

* Jim Higgins – Percussion (1, 10)
* Steve Cooney – Bass (1)
* Graham Henderson – Keyboards (1)

## Credits

Source
* Recorded at Stiúideo na Mara (“Seafront Studio”), An Bhráid, Tír Chonaill, Na Rosa (The Rosses), County Donegal, Ireland, by Manus Lunny
* Additional Recording at 'The Villa', Savage, Minnesota, USA
* Mixed by Matt Coles at Compass Sound Studio, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
* Mastered by Randy LeRoy at Tonal Park, Tacoma Park, Maryland, USA
* Martin Tourish plays Martin Tourish Accordions by Bompezzo
* Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh plays a Noel Burke Bow
* Cover art by Édaín O'Donnell
* Package design by Robert Hakalski | www.vmdigital.com
* Photography by Linda Cunningham