The Claddagh Years

Disc 1
1	Sé Fáth Mo Bhuartha /The Lark It Is the Cause of My Sorrow 7:38
2	An Comhra Donn /Murphy's Hornpipe The Brown Chest 4:19
3	Cailín Na Gruaige Doinne The Brown-Haired Girl 2:40
4	Comb Your Hair and Curl It/The Boys of Ballisodare Slip or Hop Jig 3:00
5	The Musical Priest/The Queen of May Reels 3:25
6	The Walls of Liscarroll Jig 2:31
7	A Dhruimfhionn Donn Dílis The Beloved Silk of the Kine 2:00
8	The Connemara Stocking/The Limestone Rock/Dan Breen's Reels 2:40
9	Casadh an Tsúgáin Air 3:38
10	The Boy in the Gap Reel 1:12
11	Saint Mary's Polka/The Church Street Polka /Garrett ... Polkas 6:39
Disc 2
1	Banish Misfortune/Gillian's Apples Double Jigs 3:35
2	Seóirse Brabston George Brabazon 3:30
3	Bean an Fhir Rua The Red-Haired Man's Wife 2:49
4	An Phis Fhliuch /O'Farrell's Welcome to Limerick Slip Jig 3:34
5	An Páistín Fionn /Mrs Crotty's Reel/The Mountain T The Fair-Haired Child 4:18
6	The Fox Hunt 5:30
7	An Mhaighdean Mhara /Tie the Bonnet/O'Rourke's The Sea Maiden 4:51
8	Callaghan's /Byrne's Hornpipe 3:14
9	Pigtown/Tie the Ribbons/The Bag of Potatoes 3:34
10	The Humours of Whiskey/Hardiman the Fiddler Slip Jigs 2:55
11	Dónall Óg 3:54
12	Brian Boru's March 3:14
13	Sweeney's Polka/Denis Murphy's Polka/The Scartaglen Polka Polkas 3:33
Disc 3
1	Strike the Gay Harp /Tiarna Maigheó /The Lady on Air 6:20
2	Sonny's Mazurka /Tommy Hunt's Jig 3:10
3	Eibhli Gheal Chiúin Ni Chearbhaill Air 3:52
4	The Hunter's Purse Reel 2:45
5	The March of the King of Laois Ruairí Óg Ó Mordha 3:00
6	Carolan's Concerto Mrs Poer 2:47
7	Tom Billy's Reel/The Road to Lisdoonvarna/The Merry Sisters Reels 4:55
8	An Ghaoth Anea Air 2:45
9	Tiarna Isne Chaoin Lord Inchiquin 3:38
10	The Trip to Sligo Jig 3:40
11	An Raibh Tú Ag an Gcarraig Air 2:15
12	John Kelly's Slide/Merrily Kiss the Quaker/Denis Murphy's Slide 3:25
Disc 4
1	Drowsy Maggie 3:57
2	Morgan Magan 2:48
3	The Tip of the Whistle Air 2:52
4	The Bucks of Oranmore Reel 2:13
5	The Battle of Aughrim 7:32
6	The Morning Dew 3:27
7	Carrickfergus Air 2:43
8	Sláinte Bhreagh Hiúlit Hewlett 2:30
9	Cherish the Ladies Double Jig 2:24
10	Lord Mayo March 2:38
11	Mna Na Heireann Air 3:28
12	O'Keeffe's Slide/An Súisín Bán /The ... Set Dance 3:36

Barnes & Noble

Before they became synonymous with Irish traditional music, the Chieftains were an affable bunch of part-timers, occasionally banding together under the sway of Uilleann piper Paddy Moloney and composer Sean O'Riada. Well, sort of. The Chieftains were actually a fairly serious lot back in the late '60s and into the early '70s; they were among the first Irish bands to delve into the Celtic roots of traditional tunes, investing them with an ancient power while unleashing the innate lightness and swing of their material and instruments. This four-CD set collects the first Cheiftains albums released on Claddagh Records, the label founded by Moloney for the preservation of Irish roots music and poetry. Covering the years from 1965 to 1973, this set should be a perfect tonic for those who have wondered where the Chieftains are headed, as every new album brings a collaboration with artists from all over the globe. It doesn't get any more Irish than these vintage cuts, bona fide classics like "The Morning Dew" and "Planxty George Brabazon," from way back in 1969. Although much of the Chieftains' early output has seen U.S. release on Shanachie, the 40-year-old Claddagh label hasn't released material in America before this year. Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide

As the title suggests, The Chieftains' Claddagh Years box set gathers together some of the best of their early recordings for the Claddagh label. The set's material comes primarily from the group's first four albums and gives a good representation of the group's roots as well as their wide repertoire of traditional jigs, airs, reels, polkas, mazurkas and other Celtic music forms. Tracks like "The Connemara Stocking," "The Foxhunt," "Carolan's Concerto," "The Morning Dew" and "Carrickfergus" trace the roots of the Chieftains' fresh and expressive interpretations of Celtic music. Heather Phares