Jack Coughlan’s is a popular reel among flute players. It was recorded on flute by the legendary box player Joe Burke (Loughrea, Co. Galway) on his album, The Tailor’s Choice. The reek is generally attributed to the Galway flute player, Jack Coughlan, though it is not certain that he composed the tune. Jack Coughlan’s Fancy appears as No. 139 in Breandán Breathnach’s Ceol Rince na hÉireann – Volume 2. June McCormack and Michael Rooney recorded these two reels on their second album, Land’s End, in 2006.

While the composer of the Mystery Reel is unknown, the tune itself is widely associated with the playing of Frankie Gavin. He recorded the tune on his Fierce Traditional album, citing the possibility that the reel may have come from the playing of Eddie Maloney. In addition to being a virtuoso solo player, Eddie Maloney was the duet partner of Aggie Whyte, winning the Oireachtas Duet in 1937. Eddie Maloney’s son, Seán, recently complied and produced a collection of recordings, both professional and archival (1947 to 1974) of his father’s music.