Review: No Better Boy: Listening to Paddy Canny

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

No Better Boy: Listening to Paddy Canny, the latest publication from fiddle player and researcher Helen O’Shea, is an innovative and informative book which pushes at the boundaries of scholarship in Irish traditional music. The book, which tells the story of east Clare fiddler Paddy Canny through a series of what I will call “scenes” from his life, has been partly funded by An Comhairle Ealaíon, interestingly through its grants for literature, rather than the traditional arts. It could be classed as experimental in form, borrowing somewhat from the concept of historical fiction, but set very firmly in the real experience of Paddy Canny and the world he inhabited. There is something akin here to Paddy Tunney’s The Stone Fiddle at times, and of course Tommy Peoples’ memoir and tutor book Ó Am go hAm. Some elements of O’Shea’s work are composite moments, derived from her interviews and field work with informants in east Clare, while others more clearly articulate specific first-hand accounts of moments in Canny’s life. What constitutes a “scene” in this book varies significantly, ranging from the still and poignant (the death of Canny’s father) to more complex descriptions of musical evolution with multiple characters. These are nearly all described in the present tense using an impressive level of literary detail. In this way, the book differs from both The Stone Fiddle and Ó Am go hAm which rely on the somewhat embellished evidence of the authors’ own eyes.
Original languageEnglish (Ireland)
Pages (from-to)93
Number of pages95
JournalEthnomusicology Ireland
Volume9
Issue number2024
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sep 2024

Keywords

  • Irish traditional music
  • fiddle
  • music
  • Ireland

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