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ROISIN McGRORY - Pór

_{Philippe Cousin}

A fiddler from Donegal, and more specifically from the Inishowen peninsula in the far north of the county, Roisin McGrory didn't start learning the fiddle until she was in her teens. But, having been exposed to the rich musical culture of her region since childhood, it didn't take long for her to acquire a level that has nothing to envy the best.

She studied with Donegal fiddle legends Dinny McLaughlin (RIP) of Buncrana and James Byrne of Glencolmcille. Her timing couldn't have been better. Over the years, she has earned her credentials and respect as a fiddle player, particularly at festivals and on numerous tours both in Ireland and abroad.

In 2016 she released her debut album The Brae Road to unanimous critical acclaim. Now she's back with her second album, Pór, an Irish word meaning a group of people with music inside them. It's a word Roisin discovered in the publication Last of the Name by Charles McGlinchey, a weaver and tailor born in 1861, who was interested throughout his life in the daily lives of his fellow countrymen in North Donegal.

Roisin's new album is a collection of some twenty tunes composed by some of Inishowen's finest musicians, exploring the way in which music has been passed down from generation to generation. Alongside some of her own compositions, we hear tunes by Dinny and Edel McLaughlin, Oisín Duffy, Paul Harrigan (his brother), Paul McClure, Paula and Melaine Houton and many others.
Barndances, reels, waltzes, hornpipes, jigs, highlands and mazurkas make up the whole of this delicate album.
Alongside R. McGrory are Steve Cooney on guitar, his daughter Ella McGrory on keyboards, Paul McClure on bodhrán and Deirdre McGrory on the album's two songs.
A new gem in the flower garden of this talented musician.

Othain Records OTH003 - www.roisinmcgrory.ie