The Thing Itself

West Clare flute player Peadar O’Loughlin made his debut album in 1960 with East Galway fiddler Aggie Whyte; some 40 years later, he recorded a follow-up, Touch Me If You Dare, with another fiddler from the same region – Maeve Donnelly, whom he first met in the 1970s when she was a very young musician. Geraldine Cotter’s piano backing adds to the nostalgic atmosphere, although her playing has considerably more bounce and delicacy than the thumping accompanists of old. Piper Ronan Brown co-produced the CD with Donnelly and O’Loughlin, and sits in on flute and tin whistle for a couple of tracks. As with all Claddagh releases, there are extensive notes detailing the provenance of all the tunes, as well as introductory essays by Seamus Connolly and Pat Mitchell.