As I sat by the fire with my son, Paidín,
A sudden change came over the scene.
Down the chimney came a little man so old,
And I asked him for his pit of gold.
“No gold have I, but good advice,
And if you heed it, you will be wise:
Grow small barley, and keep a pig,
And play this tune, the Luathradawn’s Jig.”
-Junior Crehan
On the day after St. Patrick’s Day, I’m wondering why the leprechaun became iconic in the Irish-American diaspora when the creature holds a minor role relative to the sidhe and other beings. I think it was more bucolic than the extensive tales of the Gentry, and simple daily luck played more importance to the lives of immigrants than grand battles. At any rate, some of the interesting related lore didn’t travel as far. I explain to my audiences that Luathradáns are similar to Leprechauns, but with the treasure of music instead of gold.
Junior Crehan, 1908–1998, a fiddler from County Clare, Ireland, was both a composer and a poet. In the poem he wrote for this tune, he credits it to a luathradán he and his son caught in their house one night. I have included three variations I have found- Crehan was known for improvising rhythmic variations. The first setting fits in the range of Irish whistle, which I use (double whistle) in my sets. The other two use the extended range of the fiddle.