Tune Notes - Winter 2025
Reel, E dorian (AABB)
Also known as "The Old Silver Spear", "Three Penny Bit", "Mháire Mhicilín".
This is a popular session and a frequently recorded traditional tune with many variants existant including A dorian versions.
P. W. Joyce of County Limerick printed it in 1909 from his own recollection (Old Irish Folk Music and Songs #61, p 33),
solidifying it as trad.
Reel, E dorian (AABB)
Also known as "The Girl I Left Behind", "Lafferty's", "Lafferty's Favourite", "The Maid I Never Forgot".
This is a two part reel composed by Sean Ryan and played by him on fiddle in this YouTube video (at 5:05).
SEÁN RYAN (1919-1985)
Seán Ryan was born in Nenagh but moved at a young age with his family to Newtown.
He started learning the fiddle at age 11, influenced by his father, Thomas, a good dance fiddler, who gave Seán his first lessons.
Ryan won a number of competitions including back-to-back Senior All-Ireland competitions in 1955 and 1956.
A prolific composer, he is said to have composed some 250 tunes, his compositions placed 1st in the Newly Composed Tune competition
at the All Ireland on several occasions.
The Hidden Ireland (1988) contains 82 of his best known tunes ("The Killimor Jig", "The Reel of Rio", "The Ballyoran Hornpipe", etc.);
Seán Ryan's Dream (2002) contains over 60 of his lesser known tunes.
-- Source: The Traditional Tune Archive
Reel, D major (AABB)
This is a two part reel in D major, published in Dance Music of Ireland (1873) No. 14, p 6, by R. M. Levey.
Jig, E dorian (AABB)
Also known as "The Daleystown Hunt".
Leitrim is a village in County Leitrim on the River Shannon. Leitrim was a strategically important ford of the River Shannon connecting Ulster and Connacht. The name 'Leitrim' itself is derived from the Irish Liath Druim, meaning 'grey ridge'.
There is a nice recording of this tune performed by The Bothy Band on Out of the Wind into the Sun (1977). Paddy Keenan (pipes, whistle), Matt Molloy (flute, whistle), Kevin Burke (fiddle), Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (vocals, keyboards), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitar, bodhrán, synthesizer), Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (guitar).
Jig, D major (AABB), although occasionally played and recorded in C Major
Recorded by Martin Hayes on Under the Moon, Green Linnet 1155 (track #4).
I've only just come across this tune and I simply have to learn it because of the following:
Some years ago whilst visiting the South West of Ireland we were driving the road to Dingle from Castlemaine and at one point there is a steep hill with a hairpin bend at the bottom. As you approach the first turn the sign painted on the road reads "SLOW". As you go down the second reads, "SLOWER". Approaching the hairpin, the third reads, "VERY SLOW". At the peak of the hairpin was a set of tyre marks leading to a hole in the hedge wherein was a hand painted sign, "TOLD YOU SO!"
As soon as I heard this tune and found out what it was called, the memory of that came back.
Jig, G major (AABB)
Also known as "Joe Cooley's Jig"
This is a doube jig in G major, often paired with "The Hole in the Hedge" as in our Riley set.
Slip Jig 9/8, G major (AB)
Also known as "The Blythsome Bridal", "The Bridal", "Come Fy, Let's A' To The Bridal", "Come To The Bridal".
Published in:
"O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems", 1907; tune #432
"O'Neill’s Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody", tune #212
There's a lively recording by Alex Sturbaum on his album Slash 2022, available on YouTube
For some reason O'Neill included in his collections as "I’m The Boy for Bewitching Them"
(although in Waifs and Strays (1922) he credits Aird's Selections (1782-97) and uses the title "Come to the Bridal").
-- Source: The Session
It's a very old tune known in Scotland as "Come Let's A' To the Bridal" or "Fy Let Us A' to the Wedding" or "The Blythsome Bridal" published in 1733 (Orpheus Caledonius) and later in Aird's Selections. Lyrics can be found in The Book of Scottish Song.
Slip Jig 9/8, G (AABB)
Also known as "The Funny Mistake", "Phillip McHugh", "Sir Philip McHugh".
Published in:
"O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems", 1907; as "Sir Philip McHugh"; tune #426
A recording of all 3 slip jigs in this set by Chulrua is available on YouTube
Slip Jig 9/8, A minor (AABB)
Also known as "The Night Before Larry Got Stretched"
Published in:
"O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland", 1903; tune #39