Enter the enchanting world of the Irish button accordion, a century-old instrument that shapes the soul of Irish traditional music. From lively jigs to haunting slow airs, the accordion weaves tales of love, battles, and nature’s whispers. Follow its historical journey from Germany to Ireland, embraced by legendary players like Jackie Daly and Tony MacMahon. Discover the distinct flavors of Ireland’s regions through the accordion’s melodies, from Clare’s fluid charm to Derry’s enigmatic whispers.
The Squeeze in Irish Melodies
Enter the world of the Irish button accordion, an instrument defining the pulse of Irish traditional music. This free-reed aerophone, more than a century old in Ireland, features buttons dictating melodies and accompaniments from both hands. Streets echo with lively jigs, reels, and hornpipes, where this accordion finds harmonious company with fiddles, tin whistles, and uilleann pipes. Yet, few realize its contribution to slow airs where it captures the melancholic mood of Ireland’s landscape.
Love and battles, nature’s whispers, or the irony of a life lived in tradition paint the themes of Irish music. This music embraces narratives of past and present, tales knit together along the River Shannon or sung at Sliabh Luachra crossroads. Picture Joe Derrane studying under expatriate tutor Jerry O’Brien, or Graham Irvine grafting Newfoundland tunes with Argyll pipes.
The Button’s Historical Waltz
The 19th century saw the accordion’s journey from Germany to Ireland’s shores. Its uncomplicated design—first with single-row and later two-row diatonics—allowed it fresh avenues within folk arrangements. Among names that ring through its corridors stands Jackie Daly, from Kanturk, who, amidst Sliabh Luachra’s confluence, nurtured a tonal legacy mirrored by few. Ireland, haunted by its past, carries the accordion’s legacy like a musical whisper passed through ages.
Irish tunes, once merely sound patterns, transformed into symbols of national identity under the cultural revival. Tony MacMahon’s transformative executions of ‘slow airs’ forge new depths—one cannot help but remember ‘Blind Mary’ or ‘Sunny Brogens’. His accordion beats under Seamus Ennis’ encouragement, coaxing airs with each drone and regulator, laying a runway for vibrant new pilots of sound.
Regions in Key and Button
As the accordion’s reeds vibrate, regions of Ireland offer distinct tastes: Clare’s fluid charm, Derry’s enigmatic melodies whisper their truth amidst the island breeze. Each district unravels a chapter, embodied in every slide and polka. Listeners become unwitting travelers, sharing tables with players at every pub session, never escaping the ubiquitous accordion motif.
Sharon Shannon, dawning the accordion crown from the quaint Ruan village, redesigns folk tunes, pressing modernity into history’s delicate pages. John Lavelle, retreating momentarily from the scene, returns, his button box narrating life’s lullabies to eager young ears hoping to capture the spirit of that squeeze.
A Night of Squeezeboxes
Such is the legacy where buttons, in the dance light of a squeezebox night, craft tales. Damien Mullane joins Graham Irvine with ‘Tiny Red Light’ sessions, meshing Cajun squeezebox traditions with island roots.
Tracklist :
Irish Traditional Music – Damien Mullane On The Button Accordion
Damien Mullane plays two traditional Irish reels on button accordion—“Clais An Adhmid” by Finbarr Dwyer and a Billy reel—showing precise, lively phrasing youtube.com+15youtube.com+15youtube.com+15.
Squeezebox Night Vol.3 Zydeco Kicks – 3
A volume‑3 Zydeco “Squeezebox Night” session delivers raucous Louisiana accordion grooves with percussive rubboard interplay.
Accordéon. Martin Cajun Squeezebox
A Cajun‑style squeezebox tune titled “Martin Cajun Squeezebox” blends syncopated accordion runs typical of southwest Louisiana dance halls.
Scottish Button Accordion – Argyll Pipe Tunes – Graham Irvine
Graham Irvine performs Argyll‑style pipe tunes on a three‑row Scottish button accordion in a recording praised for its tune execution youtube.com+8youtube.com+827thstreet.me+8.
Newfoundland Button Accordion Music Tiny Red Light
A “Tiny Red Light” set from Newfoundland offers lively button accordion reels and jigs in a regional folk‑dance context.
Traditional Irish Music (Button Accordion)
A session of traditional Irish button accordion features flowing B/C or C#/D tunes likely drawn from pub seisiúns.