The album is available from Bandcamp.

Shake the Blossom Early is dedicated to the memory of Helen’s Grandpa Bill. The title comes from a line in The Draighneán Donn (the blackthorn bush):

Come all you pretty fair maids, and be married in time
To some handsome young fellow, who will keep you in your prime
And beware of dark winter nights, when cold breezes will come
And shake the blossom early of the draighneán donn.

The artwork:
The decorative images used on this site, and on the album artwork, are from rubbings of gravestones in West Clare, made by Helen, with help from Yanny Petters.

1. Green Grows the Laurel
2. The Dark Eyed Gypsy
3. Lovely Annie
4. As I Roved Out
5. The Irish Maid/My Love Is In America
6. The Wee Weaver
7. Dobbin’s Flowery Vale
8. The Lisburn Lass
9. The Draighneán Donn
10. When a Man’s in Love
11. I Wish My Love Was A Red, Red Rose
12. The Verdant Braes of Skreen
13. Willie O

1. Green Grows the Laurel
Learned from Christy O’Leary and Bert Deivert, at the Return to Camden Town Festival in 2003 — though with a different last verse here, from one of the many other versions of this widespread song. With a setting of the Mazurka known as Vincent Campbell’s/Phroinsias’/Francie Mooney’s (or at least a close relation of it).
   Harp: Harriet Earis     Uilleann Pipes: Colman Connolly

2. The Dark Eyed Gypsy
From Joe Holmes of Co. Antrim. This is a song of which there are many versions and cousins; some say it is descended from the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice
   Bodhrán: Conán McDonnell

3. Lovely Annie
From Paddy Tunney, from the shores of Lough Erne, Co. Donegal.

4. As I Roved Out
Learned from my father. He learned it from Planxty, who learned it from Paddy Tunney, who learned it from his mother Brigid.
   Guitar: Michael Lempelius     Cello: Richard Bolton

5. The Irish Maid/My Love Is In America
From my father. He learned it from Mick Moloney, who got it from Louis Killen of Northumbria.
   Harp: Harriet Earis     Uilleann Pipes: Colman Connolly

6. The Wee Weaver
From Paddy Tunney, learned from his mother Brigid; also associated with the singer Robert Cinnamond of Co. Antrim, who was a wee weaver.

7. Dobbin’s Flowery Vale
From Geordie Hanna. Dobbin’s Flowery Vale, or Dobbin’s Folly, was an area beside the Ballinahone River in Armagh City, the gift of Colonel Leonard Dobbin in the late 18th century. in Sam Henry’s Songs of the People, the author of this song is named as a McGowan, shoemaker, though another suggested author is James Garland of Lurgan.
   Guitar: Andy Metcalfe

8. The Lisburn Lass
From Geordie Hanna, of Derrytresk, Co. Tyrone.
   Piano Accordion: Conán McDonnell

9. The Draighneán Donn
From the unison singing of Sarah and Rita Keane, of Caherlistrane, Co. Galway. The very last line is from the translation of Joe Heaney’s verison in Irish. The draighneán donn is the blackthorn bush, which blossoms on the bare thorny stems, very early in the year; hence “the blossom early”
   Harp: Harriet Earis     Low Whistle: Colman Connolly

10. When A Man’s in Love
From Paddy Tunney. It was written by Hugh McWilliams, a 19th century schoolmaster from Co. Antrim.
   Guitar & Bouzouki: Michael Lempelius

11. I Wish My Love Was a Red, Red Rose
From Sarah Makem, of Keady, in Co. Armagh. This song is a version of The Irish Girl, a Scottish version of which was recycled by Burns for his composition “My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose”.
   Guitar: Andy Metcalfe

12. The Verdant Braes of Skreen
From the McPeake family. I first heard this sung by Micky Gallaghner of Buncrana, in great sessions at The Quiet Man in Paris.
   Harp: Harriet Earis     Cello: Richard Bolton

13. Willie O
From Folk Ballads from Donegal and Derry, collected by Hugh Shields; this was sung by a gentleman credited as “Mr. X”.