School: Knockbride (2)

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1. James Gamble the Blind Fiddler (continued)

   

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   as a yeoman in '98 in the south. James Gamble learned to play the fiddle from a man named Jack Charters of whom nothing is known. Gamble played for balls and dances. He went once to Donneybrook Fair - not to play for money - with Red Ned Mahood who lived near Knockbride Church and McBrien, who were also fiddlers. At Donneybrook he won a fiddling contest. The fair ended on a Saturday and all the fiddlers gathered to a tent to drink. The fiddles were laid on a table; Gamble lifted one and played a reel, a hornpipe, and a jig. When he finished no one attempted to beat him. Jemmy Leddy, a fiddle player from Beglieve, was there too. Gamble used a Perry fiddle and also one made by Willie Barron of Coroneary, who was a wheelwright and made famous fiddles considered better than Perry's. Barron's fiddles were sold in Dublin and sent to "all parts of the world." He took to fiddle making as his trade failed when home spinning was "bate". The old people said it was the French Protestants who started spinning in Ireland. Fiddler Gamble got John Barron of Killacloghan, who was a great clarionet player, to write down notes of tunes for him. These were "black" notes written in books. These books, there was a little basket of them, contained all the tunes ever Gamble played. They were borrowed by James Nesbitt of the Thornhill, Tullylurkin, after Gamble died, and were taken by him to America, and never returned.
   Gamble composed several tunes vis. "The Humours of Rooskey", "The Humours of Ardmore", "the Humours of Newbridge" (Canningstown) and "Coroneary Beesoms". His son Edward (80)

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Thomas J. Barron

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Teacher

   Informant

   Edward Gamble

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   80

   Address

   Roosky, Co. Cavan