Local Ground

For the recording of Local Ground, Altan invited a few of their friends in music to play on the album. Former Bothy Band founder Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill plays piano on guitarist Dáithí Sproule's composition "The Roseville", a kind of a slip-reel. Steve Cooney guests on bass and Dónal Lunny adds guitar. Altan have asked Galician piper Carlos Núñez to contribute some gaita (Galician bagpipes) to two tracks. Bodhrán maestro Jim Higgins provides the rhythmic pulse on many of the tracks while Graham Henderson adds some touches of keyboard colour to a set of reels.{{cite web |url=http://www.musicscotland.com/cd/Altan-Local-Ground.html |title=Altan – Local Ground |date= 2016 |website=musicscotland.com |accessdate= 20 October 2016}}

The cover art is a reproduction of a painting by Kilkenny-based artist Bernadette Kiely. The album title "Local Ground" comes from the painting title.{{cite web |url=http://altan.ie/local-ground/ |title=Local Ground |date= 2016 |website=altan.ie |accessdate= 20 October 2016}}

Local Ground received a very positive review from the musicscotland.com website, describing it as «an album of beauty, energy, grace and finesse, retaining the enthusiasm that originally shaped [Altan's] music.»

The album also received a warm review from Amazon.com website's critic Christina Roden, stating: «For [Local Ground], the veteran Irish ensemble has gathered 13 traditional and newly composed tunes. [...] The set list includes several of the jaunty dance tunes that are the soul of Irish music. [...] Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh's fragile, girlish soprano creates many of the album's most memorable moments [such as] "Adieu My Lovely Nancy" and [the] lullaby "Dun Do Shuil". [...] The entire album has home-town warmth to it, a sense of achieved heritage that is at once soothing and invigorating.»{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Local-Ground-Altan/dp/B0007GAE1C |title=Local Ground Audio CD – Altan |date= 2016 |website=Amazon.com |accessdate= 20 October 2016}}

Source{{cite web|title=Altan – Local Ground|url=https://www.discogs.com/Altan-Local-Ground/release/3448976|website=Discogs|accessdate=26 November 2016}}{{cite web |url=https://www.irishtune.info/album/A+LG/ |title=Album Details for Local Ground by Altan |date= 2016 |website=irishtune.info |accessdate= 20 October 2016}}

All songs, medleys and tunes are traditional, except as indicated.

{{tracklist

| extra_column = Type

| title1 = Éirigh's Cuir Ort Do Chuid Éadaigh

| writer1 =

| length1 = 3:18

| note1 =

| extra1 = Song #1

| title2 = Tommy Peoples/The Road to Cashel/The Repeal of the Union/Richie's Reel

| writer2 = Charlie Lennon ("The Road To Cashel") / Ciaran Tourish ("Richie's Reel")

| length2 = 3:46

| note2 =

| extra2 = Medley #1 (4 reels)

| title3 = Is the Big Man Within?/Tilly Finn's Reel

| writer3 =

| length3 = 3:48

| note3 =

| extra3 = Medley #2 (2 reels)

| title4 = Adieu, My Lovely Nancy

| writer4 =

| length4 = 3:15

| note4 =

| extra4 = Song #2

| title5 = Bó Mhín Na Toitean/Con McGinley's Highland/Seanamhach Tube Station

| writer5 = John Carthy ("Seanamhach Tube Station")

| length5 = 4:01

| note5 =

| extra5 = Medley #3 (1 march, 1 highland, 1 jig)

| title6 = Amhrán Pheadair Bhreathnaigh

| writer6 =

| length6 = 3:54

| note6 =

| extra6 = Song #3

| title7 = The Roseville

| writer7 = Dáithí Sproule

| length7 = 2:21

| note7 =

| extra7 = Tune #1 (slip-reel)

| title8 = As I Roved Out

| writer8 =

| length8 = 4:20

| note8 =

| extra8 = Song #4

| title9 = Spórt

| writer9 = Peadar Ó Riada

| length9 = 3:02

| note9 =

| extra9 = Tune #2 (1 jig)

| title10 = The Humours of Castlefin/Nia's Dance/An Dúidín

| writer10 = Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh ("Nia's Dance")

| length10 = 3:26

| note10 =

| extra10 = Medley #4 (3 reels)

| title11 = The Wind and Rain

| writer11 =

| length11 = 4:03

| note11 =

| extra11 = Song #5 (song & jig)

| title12 = The Silver Slipper

| writer12 =

| length12 = 3:32

| note12 =

| extra12 = Tune #3 (1 jig)

| title13 = Dún Do Shúil

| writer13 =

| length13 = 3:56

| note13 =

| extra13 = Song #6

| title14 = Andy Dixon's/Ril Chois Claiding/The Swilly Reel (Bonus Track only available on the Japanese release before the 12 March 2021 re-issue)

| writer14 =

| length14 = 3:29

| note14 =

| extra14 = Reels

}}

Originally released in the US in March 2005 by Narada Records, Local Ground had been unavailable for several years. Compass Records (Altan's label partner since the 2012 release of Gleann Nimhe – The Poison Glen and home to most of the band's catalog) re-issued Local Ground on 12 March 2021. The 14-track Deluxe re-issue includes a bonus track "Andy Dixon's/Ríl Chois Claidigh/The Swilly Reel," which was previously only available on the Japanese release (also long out of print).{{cite web |url=https://www.newreleasesnow.com/album/altan-local-ground-deluxe-reissue |title=Local Ground (Deluxe Reissue) |date= March 2021 |website=www.newreleasesnow.com |accessdate= 22 January 2022}}

Adapted from the AllMusic credits.{{cite web|title=Local Ground – Altan {{!}} Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/local-ground-mw0000266190/credits|website=AllMusic|accessdate=26 November 2016}}

• Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh – fiddle, vocals
• Ciaran Tourish – fiddle, whistle, backing vocals
• Ciarán Curran – bouzouki, mandolin
• Mark Kelly – guitar, bouzouki, backing vocals
• Dermot Byrne – Accordion
• Dáithí Sproule – guitar, backing vocals

• Stephen Cooney – bass
• Graham Henderson – keyboards
• Jim Higgins – percussion, bodhrán
• Dónal Lunny – guitar
• Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill – piano
• Carlos Núñez – whistle, bagpipes (Galician gaita)

• Alvin Sweeney – engineer
• Bernadette Kiely – artwork{{cite web |url=http://aosdana.artscouncil.ie/Members/Visual-Arts/Kiely.aspx?Cnuas=1 |title=Bernadette Kiely |date= 2016 |website=aosdana.artscouncil.ie |accessdate= 20 October 2016}}
• Édain O'Donnell – photography

1. "Éirigh 's Cuir Ort Do Chuid Éadaigh": guitar – Dónal Lunny; percussion – Jim Higgins; the title of the song means "Arise now and dress yourself quickly"
2. "Tommy Peoples/The Road to Cashel/The Repeal of the Union/Richie's Reel": bodhrán – Jim Higgins; keyboards – Graham Henderson
3. "Is the Big Man Within?/Tilly Finn's Reel": bodhrán – Jim Higgins; whistle, bagpipes (Galician gaita) – Carlos Núñez
4. "Adieu, My Lovely Nancy": bass – Stephen Cooney; percussion – Jim Higgins
5. "Bó Mhín Na Toitean/Con McGinley's Highland/Seanamhach Tube Station"
6. "Amhrán Pheadair Bhreathnaigh": bass – Stephen Cooney; translated by Proinsias Ó Maonaigh
7. "The Roseville": percussion – Jim Higgins; piano – Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill
8. "As I Roved Out"
9. "Spórt": percussion – Jim Higgins
10. "The Humours of Castlefin/Nia's Dance/An Dúidín": bass – Stephen Cooney; percussion – Jim Higgins
11. "The Wind and Rain": bass – Stephen Cooney; bodhrán – Jim Higgins
12. "The Silver Slipper": percussion – Jim Higgins; whistle, bagpipes (Galician gaita) – Carlos Núñez
13. "Dún Do Shúil": backing vocals – Ciaran Tourish, Dáithí Sproule, Mark Kelly; keyboards – Graham Henderson; translated by Proinsias Ó Maonaigh; the title of the song means "Close Your Eyes"

Altan played live in concert the following tracks:

• "Is the Big Man Within?/Tilly Finn's Reel"
• "The Roseville"
• "As I Roved Out"
• "The Humours of Castlefin/Nia's Dance/An Dúidín"
• "The Silver Slipper"
• "Dún Do Shúil"

Notes

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Category:Altan (band) albums

Category:2005 albums

Category:Narada Productions albums