Every now and again, I feel obliged to dig into the dusty shelves of Irish music I've collected over the years and share a bit that might otherwise be forgotten or overlooked. This week, I pulled out a pair of CDs from 1991, both featuring Mary Custy and Eoin O'Neill, a pair of fine Doolin musicians from Co. Clare. Custy, the fiddler, was the main draw for me, but guitar and bouzouki player O'Neill is certainly the bedrock Custy builds upon. They're well matched on these recordings.

Both draw heavily on the traditional sessions that flourish in Doolin, and both rely on other musicians for support. With a Lot of Help from Their Friends is the more traditional of the two recordings -- it could almost be a live recording of a session in one of Doolin's lively pubs -- and it features Irish star Sharon Shannon (here on both accordion and fiddle) as well as Terry Bingham, Iam Lamb, Kevin Griffin and Miko Russell as guests. Anyone longing for Ireland could do worse than to pour a pint of Guinness, throw some peat on the fire and sit back listening to this for a while.

The Ways of the World is, as the title suggests, a little more worldly in its approach. Gery Molloy adds a touch of electric guitar, for instance, and Kevin Glynn jumps in with a bit of bass. Even more startling is the occasional presence of Michel Bonamy, who wanders into several tracks with a wistful saxophone. It all works together pretty well, though, and still gives the general impression of a gang of musicians crowded into a booth exchanging tunes.

Both CDs are pleasant listening experiences and would serve well in any Irish music collection. Hearing them now, nearly two decades after their release, makes me wonder what Mary and Eoin are up to these days.

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