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Máire Breatnach – fiddle & viola
Cormac De Barra – harp
Fionán de Barra – guitar & bodhrán

Recorded at Stiúideó Mháire B & Mo Studios, Dublin
Engineered, mixed and mastered by Fionán de Barra
Cover photo by John McCauley
Photography and sleeve design by Tim Jarvis
Cormac plays the Salvi Egan 38 string Irish harp on this recording
Special thanks to:
Fionán de Barra, John McCauley. Tim Jarvis. Moya Brennan, Mícheál Ó hUanacháin, Geraldine Cotter, John Boyd, Máire Ní Chathasaigh, Nollaig Ní Chathasaigh, Gráinne Hambly, Noel Kenny, Kathleen Loughnane
Produced by Cormac De Barra & Máire Breatnach with Fionán de Barra
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Tarraing Téad / Pulling Strings comprises 12 tracks primarily focused on the music of the 17th and 18th century Irish harpers. It also features an eclectic mixture of traditional tunes arranged for harp and strings by Cormac and Máire, accompanied by Cormac's brother Fionán de Barra on guitar and bodhrán

1. Planxty Sudley or Carolan’s Dowry – Composed by Turlough Ó Carolan for his daughter, Siobhán, on the occasion of her marriage to Captaen Sudley of the King’s Army.

2. The Orphan, Paddy in London & The Rolling Wave - A set of three jigs we had great fun arranging between Cormac, Máire and Fionán.

3. Mrs Bermingham – This air, by Turlough O’Carolan, was collected by Edward Buinting from two harpers, Charles Fanning and Hugh Higgins, at the Belfast Harp Festival of 1792.

4. An Chúil Duibh Réidh – A beautiful version from Múscraí (Muskerry in Co Cork) of the famous air Róisín Dubh which Máire got from the playing of Noel Kenny.

5. The Musical Priest & Major Harrison's Fedora – A lively set of reels which Máire and Fionán put their mark on with their ideas for the arrangement
6. Eleanor Plunkett – Eleanor was the last of her line and her family met a very unpleasant end. O’Carolan composed this air in her honour.

7. Henry MacDermott Roe Composed by O’Carolan for his patron in Ballyfarnan, Co. Roscommon. We are not sure which Henry it was written for – the head of the household or his first-born son.

8. Miss Hamilton – Only a few works by the Kerry harper/composer Cornelius Lyons remain. This air was written about the year 1706.

9. Moran's Return – We are indebted to Nollaig Casey for bringing this tune back to life. She found it in a manuscript from 1844.

10. Sliabh na mBan – A famous song air named for the mountain Sliabh na mBan in south Tipperary.

11. Molly Nic Ailpín - This harp air was written in the 17th century by the Sligo harper/composer William Connellan.

12. The Swaggering Jig,Drops of Brandy & Hardiman the Fiddler – A set of three slip-jigs wth Fionán accompanying Cormac and Máire on both guitar and bodhrán.