Nov. 19, 2024

Dennis Cahill Irish guitar transcription — Brauch Na Carraige Baine

Guitar Music Transcription

Here I play the traditional Irish waltz “Bruach Na Carraige Baine,” as arranged for guitar by the late master Dennis Cahill. I hope you enjoy.

I first heard this arrangement in the TG4 documentary about Dennis's life: “Dennis Cahill: Litir ó do chara” (meaning letter from a friend). You can hear the piece around the 7:30 mark. I highly recommend watching the full episode — it is a beautiful tribute to his life and to his influence on the role of the guitar in traditional Irish music.

Dennis passed away in 2022. I cannot claim to have known him particularly well, but I truly admired his talent and humble nature. Here was a man who had toured the finest concert halls of the world, and could still just as likely be found at a local pub session in Chicago.

He was encouraging to musicians of all levels (including myself!), and he was extremely generous with advice, stories and jokes.