Barry,

On my trip through County Clare, I made inquiries into your song. I might ask if Gerry Shannon is a flute player and brother to Sharon Shannon?

Two recitations I came across seemed of interest. One was an anonymous poem I heard a Jimmy Clune recite in Feakle called The Master's Hand:

It was battered and scarred and the auctioneer thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin but he held it up with a smile
"What am I bidding, good folks?" he cried, "Who will start the bidding for me?
A guinea. A guinea. Now, two guineas. Who'll make it three?"

Another that comes to mind is a poem by Sigerson Clifford titled, The Fiddler:

A black cap lumped on his skull
A pipe stuck into his mouth
His fingers fondled a fiddle
And his elbow jerked in and out

His music was mad and merry
I pranced like a circus clown
He called away and I followed him
Out of Cahersiveen Town

Do either of these sound familiar? If so, I think I have someone who can put an air to them.

Brien