North Antrim fiddling is interesting in that the fiddlers of the area probably received nearly as much inspiration from Scottish traditional musicians as they did from Irish fiddlers. This is evident in their repertoire and style, e.g. Scottish marches and flings would be far more popular here than in most other areas of Ireland and the style of playing is a slower, plainer, less flamboyant approach to the music. A style which is also reflected in the traditional singing of the North.
This page is dedicated to some well known, and some not so well known, local worthies, who deserve our recognition, for these colourful characters made and thankfully in some cases still continue to make, our little corner a richer and more interesting place to live.
I mention around 40 local fiddle players below, who were active in living memory, which indicates just how popular traditional music was, at one time, in North Antrim.
In the days before the TV, traditional dances were very popular, and fiddle and accordion players would play in all manner of Parish and Orange Halls throughout North Antrim, back in those halcyon days when traditional music was not the property of one community alone, but was rightly enjoyed and practiced by all, as a shared legacy and heritage as part of everyone’s culture.
Dick Glasgow on the Fiddle
[Photo by - Ciaran Kelly ]
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If you can add any interesting information to my limited knowledge of those Fiddlers listed below, I would be delighted to recieve it. Also, if you can recommend anyone else for inclusion in this local hall of fame, please feel free to e-mail the information to me, including photographs, if possible and I will happily add their story.
Anyway, to get us started, here's a lovely old photo of two unknown Fiddler players, taken by Ballycastle.
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