Description

Niamh Ní Charra: Donnelly’s Arm

with
Kevin Corbett/; Guitars
Dominic Keogj: Bodrhan

Guest Musicians:
Mikie Smyth: Uilleann Pipes
Órlath McAuliffe: Flute, Tin Whistle
Claire Sherry: Banjo
Niamh grew up in Killarney, surrounded by a wealth of Sliabh Luachra musicians and has been playing almost all her life. Following 8 years touring the world with Riverdance as the featured fiddler and introducing Riverdance audiences to the concertina along the way, she has returned to Ireland where she is now based. This album her fifth, is the fruits of her lockdown period, during the past 18  months.

The Story of Donnelly’s Arm.

Two hundred years ago the boxing pioneer from Dublin’s docklands, Dan Donnelly died.

Discovered by piper and aristocrat Sir William Kelly, he famously beat three English prize-fighters of the time and was proclaimed Ireland’s champion. This colourful character subsequently became a proprietor of several bars in Dublin, garnered a reputation for gambling, womanising and drinking and in 1820 passed away at the young age of 31.

But like all good stories, it doesn’t end here. Shortly after his burial in Bully’s Acre his body was snatched by grave-robbers on order. Donnelly’s admirers tracked the body down to a surgeon and it was returned for burial – minus his right arm! Legend has it that Donnelly’s arms were unusually long and the surgeon successful negotiated to keep one for medical research.

Donnelly’s arm was preserved in red lead and spent several years in Edinburgh where it was studied by medical students, before it became an exhibit in a Victorian travelling circus. It eventually made it back across the Irish sea where it was displayed firstly in a pub in Belfast before finally returning to Kildare, the scene of his first successful fight. More recently it flew first class to America but that’s another story! I first heard about Donnelly and his amazing feats while drinking in Fallon’s, my local in the Liberties in Dublin, and coincidentally the only one of Donnelly’s bars still in existence.

Donnelly is one of several people and events I commemorate in this album which has been influenced not only by my time spent in Dublin, which has been my home since 2005, but also by my upbringing in the musically rich area of Sliabh Luachra in Kerry, by my travels playing music internationally, and by my work as a professional archivist.

This album has been in gestation for several years, but work commenced in earnest just as the Covid_19 pandemic took hold and lock-down was initiated. I would therefore like to thank everyone involved for their work and support under these extraordinary circumstances, and to dedicate this album to both the amazingly courageous people working the front line, and to those who sadly passed away during this time. Ar scáth a chéile a mhairimid,  Niamh

Audio

Track 1: The Worn Torn Petticoat

Track 2: Two-Part Pour

Track 3: Cad é Sin t É Sin

Track 4: Richie Dwyer’s

Track Listing

1. The Copper Mines of Killarney / Covering Ground / Andy De Jarlis (Jigs)
2. The Curlew Hills / Tripping to the Well / Two-Part Pour (Barndance / Polkas)
3. Cad é Sin Don t’É’ Sin (Song)
4. Donnelly’s Arm / Pretty Peggy / Julie Delaney’s (Reels)
5. Flush of Success / The Worn Torn Petticoat / Tom Billy’s Favourite (Slides)
6. Eanach Dhúin (Slow Air)
7. Gone, Gonna Rise Again / Ar Scáth a Chéile (Song/ Slip Jig / Reel)
8. Seanchnoc (Clan march)
9. Waltz for Rosie / The (Old) Lark in the Morning / Cooper and Keegan’s (Waltz /Jig / Slip Jig)
10. Ceol An Phíobaire (Song)
11. Amaitzeko Soñua / As I Looked East and I Looked West/ The Glen Cottage / I will, yeah (Arin Arin / Polkas)
12. The Exile of Erin / Richie Dwyer’s / Red-haired Catherine / Ril Du Forgeron (Reels).

Also available from Copperplate
Niamh Ní Charra: From Both Sides
Niamh Ní Charra: Cuz, A tribute to Cuz Teahan

Press Reviews

The Irish Post: May 2, 2026
Niamh Ni Charra strikes rich vein with Donnelly’s Arm Kerry musician blends tradition and invention in confident fifth album

Killarney musician Niamh Ni Charra’s latest album.Donnelly’s Arm is a richly textured collection. Better than that, it underlines her status as one of the finest performers in contemporary traditional music, not just in Ireland but globally as well. • Best known for her years as a featured • fiddler with Riverdance, Ni Charra has long balanced deep roots in the Sliabh Luachra tradition with a willingness to explore beyond it. That balance is evident throughout this,
her fifth album, much of which took shape during the COVID lockdown period. At its core is a tight musical partnership with guitarist Kevin Corbett and bodhran player Dominic Keogh. It works extraordinarily well. The backing provides a steady but imaginative foundation, allowing Ni Charra’s fiddle and concertina playing to move freely between styles. This is one of the hallmarks of her playing — from the legato style found in Clare music to the odd snap of the more vigorous Nova Scotia approach (presumably inherited from Donegal or Scottish music). Whatever the source, it is deliciously addictive. Corbett brings a modern sensibility to the arrangements, his accompaniment shifting from understated to inventive without ever overwhelming the tunes. Many albums could take a lesson from that.
Donnelly’s Arm opens with a set of jigs led by Ni Charra’s own composition, The Copper Mines of Killarney — her melodic instincts and connection to place very much to the fore. From there, the record moves easily through a mix of traditional material and original pieces, with influences stretching from Kerry to diaspora-influenced Irish music. Ni Charra has always shown a flair for structuring medleys, and that skill is on display here. Sets move between rhythms and moods with ease, keeping this listener very engaged. Polkas and slides sit alongside waltzes, airs and reels, while occasional departures — including a Basque tune — add further colour. There is also a strong vocal presence. Ni Charra sings in both Irish and English, bringing a light touch to lively songs and a more measured delivery to slower material. Tracks such as Ceol an Phiobaire, accompanied by uilleann piper Mikie Smyth, highlight her ability to convey mood as well as melody, while Cad é Sin adds a more playful note. Guest musicians are used sparingly but effectively. Orlaith McAuliffe (flute and whistle), Claire Sherry (banjo) and Kate Ellis (cello) all contribute at key moments, adding texture without distracting from the central sound. Ellis’s cello, in particular, deepens the emotional pull of the air Eanach Dhuin. The album’s title track draws on the story of 19th-century boxer Dan Donnelly, whose preserved arm became a macabre curiosity in Irish folklore. Ni Charra translates that tale into a lively set of reels — one of several examples of how she draws inspiration from history without becoming overly reverential. If there is a defining quality to Donnelly’s Arm, it is its sense of ease. The playing is assured and the production is top class — clean, clear and confident. Around a third of the tracks are Ni Charra’s own compositions, and they sit comfortably alongside well-known traditional tunes. After an eight-year gap since her previous release, this is a strong return. Rooted in tradition but open in outlook, Donnelly’s Arm offers familiarity and freshness in equal measure — a combination that has become Ni Charra’s hallmark.  Malcolm Rogers

The tale of Donnelly’s Arm TWO hundred years ago, Dublin boxer
Dan Donnelly — a champion of his era — died aged just 31. A colourful figure from the docklands, he rose to fame after defeating leading English prize-fighters, later becoming a publican known for his larger-than-life lifestyle. His story took a darker turn after death. Buried in Bully’s Acre, Donnelly’s body was stolen by grave-robbers and taken to a surgeon. Though recovered by admirers, it was missing his right arm — reputedly unusually long and central to his success in the ring. Preserved for study, the arm travelled widely: from Edinburgh medical rooms • to a Victorian circus, before returning to Ireland, where it was displayed in pubs including one in Kildare, near the site of his early victories. The tale, part folklore and part history, remains one of Ireland’s most striking sporting legends — and continues to inspire new retellings today. Still today Donnelly’s Hollow is a visitor site on the Curragh of Kildare.

Niamh Ni Charra “Donnelly’s Arm”
This album is even better than I expected! I’ve long had an affection for Niamh Ni Charra’s music – it’s warm, cheery, and traditional without being hide-bound. Multi-talented, adding vocals to her proven prowess on fiddle and concertina, Niamh is well able to present a varied hour of entertainment, and on this recording she’s supported by guitarist Kevin Corbett and drummer Dominic Keogh as well as a few impressive guests. From a solid foundation in the music of Kerry, she kicks off with her own jig The Copper Mines of Killarney – an ancient seam which may explain the local red-heads – followed by Diarmaid Moynihan’s effortless Covering Ground, and then the Canadian Metis classic Andy Dejarlis’ Scotch Style Jig, a great fiddle piece. Switching to concertina, Niamh joins the old Glenbeigh Hornpipe to a pair of toe-tapping polkas, one old and one newly formed. Cad é Sin, the first of three songs, is a gentle song of the ceol and craic that follows from good cider, double-tracked for harmony vocals. Fiddle and concertina sets, and another couple of songs, with strong backing throughout: that would be enough for most people, but Ni Charra adds a secret sauce of some great guests: Claire Sherry on banjo, Orlaith McAuliffe on flute and whistle, Kate Ellis on cello, and the bold Mikie Smyth on uilleann pipes. The title track gets a driving band arrangement to go with its powerful story of prize-fighting, grave-robbing and surgical chicanery – just what you’d expect of Dublin in the 1800s. Polkas and slides, waltzes and airs, a cheeky wee Basque dance, and of course reels and jigs keep things interesting from start to finish, with about a third of the material composed by Niamh and the rest from excellent traditional sources old and new. Ms Ni Charra has perfected the art of the medley, mixing and matching styles and rhythms in a single set, constantly adding little surprises. Donnelly’s Arm ends with a great example, a set of four reels, one from prolific Manchester composer Tony Sullivan, one from the ovs4in archives, one of NI h’s own, and the final Quebecois favourite Reel du Forgeron, in praise of another strong right arm. One of the best albums of 2021 so far! • © Alex Monaghan

Irish Music Magazine.
Niamh Ni Charra’s albums are always a delight, and often a surprise, as is the case with Donnelly’s Arm, simply put, it is exceptional.
The news to get the gossips going is she has found in Kevin Corbett her Dennis Cahill. Other musicians are called on, employed sparingly, Mikie Smyth (uilleann pipes), Katie Ellis brings her cello to Eanach Dhúin, Orlaith McCauliffe (flute and whistles) and Claire Sherry (banjo) each contribute to 3 tracks. The core duo have a synergy rarely heard in traditional music. Corbett’s guitar accompaniment is ground breaking, there’s an intangible intelligence here on tunes such as the first set of jigs, Kevin’s guitar leading The Copper Mines of Killarney, Niamh’s fiddle deep and rounded, Dominic Keogh’s bodhrán steady and sonorous, a track I could put on repeat for an hour.  More guitar magic on Cad é Sin Don t És Sin. Niamh taking the vocals and a fiddle break to add more richness to the tale. If it’s a story you are looking for the title track Donnelly’s Arm is actually a bunch of reels, the limb a macabre trophy that once hung on the wall of a pub in Kildare, the set of reels closes with one of my all time favourites Julia Delaney’s with added banjo. Tasty.
Niamh sings Ceol An Phíobair over an uilleann pipe drone from Mikie Smyth. The recording quality is astonishingly clear, her voice unwavering for the five minutes of the track.  The home ground is not entirely forgotten. Niamh picks up the concertina for one of the most joyful tunes in the tradition The Curlew Hills, once again in lock step with Corbett. The selection ends with a polka; sure it wouldn’t be an album from Niamh without one. There are slides too on track 5, Flush of Success, The Worn Torn Petticoat and Tom Billy’s.  They will be a must-see duo once the lockdown is lifted. Until then you can play this on endless repeat. I know I will.  Seán Laffey

The Independent
Donnelly’s Arm is the new album from Kerry fiddle player, concertina player and singer Niamh Ní Charra. The title refers to the nineteenth-century Irish boxer Dan Donnelly and is the name of a reel composed by Ní Charra. She has also included several other of her compositions, plus tunes by Diarmuid Moynihan and Orlaith McAuliffe as well as traditional pieces. Songs include Si Kahn’s ‘Gone, Gonna Rise Again’ and ‘Ceol an Phíobaire’, and guest artists include guitarist Kevin Corbett, bodhrán player Dominic Keogh, cellist Kate Ellis, McAuliffe on flute and tin whistle, Claire Sherry on banjo and piper Mikie Smyth. Available in 6-panel CD digipak with 20-page booklet.

www.mustrad.com
Niamh Ní Charra has made three ‘solo’ CDs before this one – Ón Dá Thaobh / From Both Sides in 2007, Súgach Sámh / Happy Out in 2010, and “Cuz” in 2013.  If you’ve read my reviews of any (or all) of them, you’ll realize that I’m a fan – particularly of her concertina playing.  Exactly why it’s taken eight years since the wonderful “Cuz” for her to come up with this one I don’t know … but maybe it’s because she’s needed the time to compose the ten of her own tunes found here – including the title track Donnelly’s Arm.  I won’t dwell on the interesting story of prize-fighter Dan Donnelly and his unusually long arms, which may have contributed to his victories over three English Champion boxers of two centuries ago. Buy the CD and read the booklet!  But what about the music and singing?

The gestation of the work began some years ago, but recording started just as the Covid Lockdown began, so we must assume that much of the CD has been constructed entirely in overdub mode.  If so, they’ve made a damn good job of it.  Compared with the previous three, this one has several sets of mixed time signature pieces – this makes for increased interest, but pleases me less than more ‘coherent’ sets.

We start with The Copper Mines of Killarney, one of Niamh’s own composiions; a nice slowish jig, followed by another in similar vein, followed by a Nova Scotia one played, as is appropriate, much faster.  Next comes a nice barndance on concertina called here The Curlew Hills, but you may know it as the Glenbay Horpipe; it’s followed by two polkas.  Track three is a song aboout cider; It think Niamh is better on free rhythm songs – and this one is very rhythmic.

Track five is slides; the first by Niamh, the others traditional.  One of the nice things about a Niamh Ní Charra record is that there’s always at least one story involved – in this case Tom Billy’s Favourite is a 2-part tune you’ll recognise from one that Paddy Molony accidentally added a part of another tune to, and called the result Dingle Regatta.  Apparently it’s considered sacrilegious to play that version in a session in Tom Billy Murphy’s homeland of Sliabh Luachra!

As has been clear from her earlier CDs, Niamh is rather good at playing slow airs on the concertina, and she continues to do so with one of the (to these ears) most beautiful, Eanach Dhúin.  It’s not quite the usual solo performance, as Kate Ellis joins her very effectively on ‘cello.  Track seven stands out as an unusual inclusion – Gone, Gonna Rise Again / Ar Scáth a Chéile is an American song by Si Kahn, followed by two of Niamh’s own compositions which reference it both musically and emotionally, “But the new wood springs from the roots underground.”

Track eight is also unusual in that it’s really played by guitarist Kevin Corbett, with Niamh backing up and adding the tune later.  She wrote it in memory of childhood summertime visits to Seanchnoc (Old Hill) in South Kerry.  Kevin also starts Waltz for Rosie, before moving into an old jig and a new slip jig.  Next is a free rhythm song about a piper’s courtship, Ceol An Phíobaire, which Niamh sings very effectively, with the pipes played by Mikie Smyth.  Very nice!

Next we have a Basque tune followed by two well-known, old polkas, followed by a new, good one, written by Niamh.  And we finish up with the only set of reels on the CD, played on fiddle, concertina, both, and both plus Claire Sherry’s banjo on the last – phew!  It goes without saying that all the playing is superb, and very well recorded.  There’s so much to listen out for and, if I don’t like it quite as much as I do the others, that’s down to me, not Niamh Ní Charra.   Rod Stradling – 9.3.21