The Blarney Stone Pub and at the House of Ireland in Balboa Park for Welcoming Me Into the World of Irish Session Music

Blarney Stone Pub San Diego, California

Irish Session Tunes

I came to Irish session music only quite recently in my musical lifetime. It became clear to me very quickly that it can be very difficult for beginning players to bootstrap themselves into becoming participating members of a session. So often the tunes go by so quickly, and it seems that nobody knows the names.

What I felt was needed was a book of the tunes played in our session, in the order that they are commonly played. Many times I have watched beginners, (myself included) desperately flipping through books trying to find a tune being played, only to have the group move on to another tune just when its been found in the book, or worse, never finding it at all so that there isn’t a chance that they will be able to play it the following week.

Using this book and some practice, new players should be able to become participating members of the session in just a few weeks.

Acknowledgement

Thank you to everyone at the Blarney Stone Pub and at the House of Ireland in Balboa Park for welcoming me into the world of Irish session music.

A special thank you to Nishi for helping kick this effort off by suggesting the initial list of tunes.

Thank you to Steve Glass for his wonderful transcriptions of interesting tunes.

Thank you to Marci Bunescu and Dennis Buskirk of Cobblestone for providing me with a comprehensive list of tunes for dancers.

Production Notes

This book was produced entirely on a Macintosh using both hand transcriptions and .abc tune sources from the Internet, mostly from Henrik Norbeck’s ABC archives. The .abc files were brought in to BarFly 1.0d23, which generated the notation. The resulting graphics were then pasted into Microsoft Word.

Questions? Corrections? Tune suggestions? E-mail: [email protected]

Blarney Stone Tunebook web site: http://members.home.com/eskin/tunebook.html

2 Table of Contents

Reels

Martin Wynne's #1 - Martin Wynne's #2 7

Lucy Campbell - Jolly Tinker 8

Lads of Laoise - Sailing into Walpole's Marsh - Hunter's Hut 10

Cameronian - Rakish Paddy 12

Merry Blacksmith - Cooley's - Mountain Road 14

Salamanca - Peter Street 16

Pigeon on the Gate - Earl's Chair - Woman of the House 18

Cup of Tea - Dunmore Lasses 20

Ashplant - Jackie Coleman's - Bag of Spuds - Bird on a Tree 22

Musical Priest - Jenny's Chicken 24

Wise Maid - Morning Dew 25

Bucks of Oranmore - Wind that Shakes Barley 26

Scholar - Teetotalor - St. Anne's 28

Mason's Apron - Farewell to Ireland 30

Sligo Maid - Pigeon on the Gate - Cooley's 32

Ships are Sailing - Morning Star 34

Jolly Tinker - Lady Montgomery 35

Maid of Mt. Cisco - Down the Broom - Star of Munster 36

Chicago - Sally Garden's - Man of the House 38

Tam Lin - Hand Me Down the Tackle 40

3 Pinch of Snuff 42

Maudabawn Chapel – The Wild Irishman – Abbey Reel 43

Jigs

Cathleen Hehir’s - Lark in the Morning 44

Mooncoin - Langstrom's Pony 46

Caliope House - Banks of Lough Gowna - Orphan 48

Tobin's Favorite - Smash the Windows 50

Trip to Athlone - Tripping Up the Stairs - Connaughtman's Rambles 52

Market Town - Scatter the Mud - Arthur Darley’s Jig 54

Old Favorite - Cliffs of Moher - Bill Hart's Jig 58

Swallowtail Jig - Road to Lisdoonvarna 60

Kesh Jig - Morrison's - Trip to Sligo 62

When Sick is it Tea - Haste to the Wedding - Off She Goes 64

Jig of Slurs - Athol Highlanders 66

Blarney Pilgrim - The Rambling Pitchfork - The Black Rogue 68

Banish Misfortune 70

Tell Her I Am - Queen of the Rushes 72

Slip Jigs

The Boys of Ballysadare - Butterfly 74

Rocky Road to Dublin - Another Jig Will Do - Deirde’s Fancy 75

4 Hornpipes

Home Ruler 76

Rights of Man 76

King of the Fairies 77

Boys of Bluehill - Harvest Home 78

Madame Bonaparte 79

Polkas

Unknown Title - Dennis Murphy’s - John Ryan’s 80

Slow Airs / Waltzes

Ashokan Farewell 82

Southwind 83

Sheebeg Sheemore 84

Trip to Skye 85

Tunes Transcribed by Steve Glass:

Jug of Punch – Maids of Mitchelstown 86

Cold, Haily, Windy Night – Docherty’s Reel 87

An Suisin Ban 88

First Flight of Geese 91

Rolling Wave – Star Above the Garter 92

Humours of Ballyloughlin 93

Garrett Barry’s – Bryan O’Lynn – Snug in a Blanket – 94 Calliope House 5 O’Farrell’s Welcome to Limerick 97

Comb Your Hair and Curl It 98

Elizabeth Kelly’s – Fraher’s – Dinny Delaney’s 100

Humours of Whiskey – Hardiman the Fiddler 102

Sock in the Hole – Hole in the Sock 103

My Rovin’ Eye – Blackwell Court 104

Mrs. Carroll’s Strathspey 105

Rogues in a Nation – Cam Ye O’er Frae France 106

Morgan Magan 107

Lord Mayo’s March 108

The Hunt 109

Suil Ghorm 110

The Trees They Do Grow High 111

The Sound of Sleet 112

The Trowie Burn 113

Revision History 115

6 Martin Wynne's #1 Martin Wynne (1914-98)

1 2

Martin Wynne's #2 Martin Wynne (1914-98)

C ~ ~

~ ~ 3 ~

7 Lucy Campbell

C ~ ~

~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ 1 ~ 2~ ~

~ ~

8 Jolly Tinker, The 1 2 3 C ~ ~ ~ ~

3 3

3 1 2

~ ~

9 Lads of Laois, The

C ~ ~ 1 2

~ ~ ~ 3

~ ~ 1 2 ~

Sailing into Walpole's Marsh

C ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~

10 Hunter's House, The Ed Reavy ~ ~ C

~ ~ ~

~ ~

11 Cameronian Reel, The

C ~

~ ~ ~ 3 3 3

Rakish Paddy

C ~ 1 2

12 13 Merry Blacksmith, The

Cooley's 3 Joe Mills, Galway (1938)

C ~

1 2

~ ~ ~

1 2

~ ~

14 Mountain Road, The Michael Gorman (1895-1970) 1 2 C ~ ~

1 2 ~ ~ ~

15 Salamanca Reel, The 3 3

C ~ ~ 1 2

~ ~ 3

~ ~ ~ 1 2

Peter Street 3 3 3 3

3 3

3 3 3 3

~ ~

16 17 Pigeon on the Gate, The 3

C ~ ~ ~

~ ~ 3

~ 3 3

Earl's Chair, The

C ~ ~ ~ 1 2

~ ~

~ ~ ~

18 Woman of the House, The 3

C ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ 3 ~

19 Cup of Tea, The

1 2

~ ~ ~

20 Dunmore Lasses, The ~ ~ C ~ ~ 1 2

~ ~ ~ ~

~ 3 ~ 1 2

21 Ashplant, The

C ~ ~ 3

~ ~ ~ ~

Jackie Coleman's

C ~ 1 2

~ ~

1 2

22 Bag of Spuds, The

Bird on a Tree, The

C ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~

23 Musical Priest, The 1 2

C ~ ~

1 2

~ ~ ~ ~

Jenny's Chickens ~ ~ ~ C

~ ~

1 2

24 Wise Maid, The 3 (John Doherty ?)

C ~ ~ 3 1 2

~ ~

3 1 2

Morning Dew, The 1 2

C ~

~ ~ ~

1 2 3

25 Bucks of Oranmore, The 1 2 C ~ ~ ~ ~ 1 2

~ ~ ~ ~ 1 2 ~

1 2 ~

26 Wind That Shakes the Barley, The 1 2 C ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~

27 Scholar, The

C ~ 1 2

1 2

Teetotaller's Reel 3 4 4

28 Saint Anne's Reel

29 Mason's Apron, The

C ~ ~

1 2

30 Farewell to Ireland

~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~

3 3 3 ~ ~ ~ ~

3 3

~ ~

31 Sligo Maid, The

~ ~ ~

Pigeon on the Gate, The 3

C ~ ~ ~

~ ~ 3

~ 3 3

32 Cooley's 3 Joe Mills, Galway (1938)

C ~

1 2

~ ~ ~

1 2

~ ~

33 Ships Are Sailing 3 3

C ~ 3 3 1 2

~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ 1 2

Morning Star, The

C ~ ~ ~ 3 3

~ 3 3 ~

34 Jolly Tinker, The 1 2 3 C ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

3 3

3 1 2

~ ~

Lady Montgomery 1 2 C ~ ~ 1 2

35 Maid of Mount Cisco, The Paddy Killoran (?)

C ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 3 1 2

~ ~ ~

3 1 2 3

~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ 1 3 2

~ ~

Down the Broom ~ C ~ ~ ~ ~ 1 2

~ 1 2

36 Star of Munster, The

~ ~

~ 1 2 ~

37 Chicago Reel, The

C ~ 3

~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sally Gardens, The 3

~ 3

38 Man of the House, The 1 2 C

1 2

39 Tam Lin

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~

40 Hand Me Down the Tackle

C ~ ~

~ ~

41 Pinch of Snuff

42 Maudabawn Chapel Ed Reavy (1898-1988)

C ~ ~ ~

~ ~

The Wild Irishman 1 3 2 3 C

~ ~ 1 2

The Abbey Reel 1 2 ~ C ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~

43 Cathleen Hehir's

6 8 ~

1 2

44 Lark in the Morning, The

6 8

1 2

~ 1 2

45 Mooncoin Jig, The

6 8

46 Langstrom's Pony

6 8

~ ~

47 Caliope House ~ Dave Richardson ~ ~ 6 8

~1 ~2

~ ~ ~

~ ~

Banks of Lough Gowna, The

6 8

1 2

~ ~

~ 1 2

48 Orphan, The

6 8 ~ ~ 1 2

~ ~

1 2

49 Tobin's Favourite ~ ~ ~ 6 8

Smash the Windows

6 8

50 51 Trip to Athlone, The

6 8

1 2

~ 1 2

Tripping Up the Stairs

6 8

1 2

52 Connaughtman's Rambles, The

6 8

1 2

53 Market Town

6 8 ~ ~ 1 2

~ B ~

C ~

~ D ~

54 Scatter the Mud

6 8

55 Arthur Darley's Jig Arthur Darley 6 8 ~

1 2

56 57 Old Favourite, The

6 8 ~

1 2

~ 1 2

Cliffs of Moher, The

6 8

2 ~

58 Bill Hart's Jig ~ ~ 6 8 ~ ~

~ 1 2 ~ ~

59 Swallowtail Jig, The

6 8

1 2

The Road to Lisdoonvarna

6 8

60 61 Kesh Jig, The

6 8 ~ ~ 1 2

~ ~

Morrison's Jig

6 8 ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~

62 Trip to Sligo, The

6 8

1 2

63 When Sick is it Tea You Want?

6 8

1 2

Haste to the Wedding

6 8

1 2

~ ~ 1 2

64 Off She Goes

6 8 ~ ~ 1 2

~ 1 2

65 Jig of Slurs, The

6 8

1 2

66 Atholl Highlanders, The ~ ~ 6 8

~ 1 2

1 2

67 Blarney Pilgrim, The

6 8 ~

Rambling Pitchfork, The

6 8 ~ ~ 1 2

1 2

68 Black Rogue, The

6 8

~ ~ ~

69 Banish Misfortune

6 8

70 71 Tell Her I Am

6 8 ~ ~

~ ~

~ ~ ~ 1

~ ~ 2 ~

72 Queen of the Rushes, The

6 8

1 2

~ ~ ~

73 Boys of Ballysadare, The

9 8

Butterfly, The Tommy Potts 9 8

74 Rocky Road to Dublin, The

9 8

Another Jig Will Do

9 8 ~

Deirdre's Fancy 1 2 9 8

1 2

75 Home Ruler, The Frank3 McCollum of Ballycastle

C ~

Rights of Man, The (James Hill, Northumberland (??))

76 King of the Fairies, The 3

77 Boys of Bluehill, The 3

Harvest Home 3 3 3 3

3 3 3 3

~ ~ ~

78 Madame Bonaparte

4 4

Madame Bonaparte

4 4

79 Unknown Title

2 4

Dennis Murphy's

2 4

1 2

80 John Ryan's

2 4

1 2

81 Ashokan Farewell Jay Ungar, 1983. 3 4

82 South Wind, The Traditional 3 4

1 2

83 Sheebeg Sheemore Turlough O'Carolan 3 4

84 Trip to Skye John Whelan Bm Bm/G A Bm 6 8

Bm Bm/G A Bm

D A Bm

D A Bm Bm/G

85 Dm Jug of Punch Am Boys of the Lough 4 4 Dm C Am F/(Bb) (Am) Dm

Dm Am (C)

Bb Am C G F/(Bb) (Am) Dm

Maids of Mitchelstown Bothy Band Dm C Dm Am Dm Am C Dm 4 4

Cno3 Dno3 F159 Ano3 Bb159 1 Ano3 Gno3 2 Ano3

Dm C Dm Am Dm Am 1 C Dm 2 C Dm

Cno3 Dno3 F159 Ano3 Bb159 1 Ano3 Gno3 2 Ano33 3

86 Cold, Haily, Windy Night Steeleye Span Am C Dno3 Am 4 4

Am C Dno3 AmDno33

Am G C G

Am (C159) C Dno3 A159

Docherty's Reel Boys of the Lough Am G C \D G\C G 4 4

Am G C \D G Am C D 1 2

Am G Em G \C

Am\D G Em C G D G Am 1 2

87 An Suisin Ban (F) Chieftains Bb F 3 Bb F G C 4 4

F C Bb F Bb F 1 3 2

Bb F Bb F G C

F C Bb F Bb F 1 2 3

An Suisin Ban (C) Chieftains F C 3 F C D G 4 4

C G F C F C 1 3 2

F C F C D G

C G F C F C 1 2 3

88 An Suisin Ban (G) Chieftains C G 3 C G A D 4 4

G D C G C G 1 3 2

C G C G A D

G D C G C G 1 2 3

An Suisin Ban (D) Chieftains G D 3 G D E A 4 4

D A G D G D 1 3 2

G D G D E A

D A G D G D 1 2 3

89 An Suisin Ban (A) Chieftains D A 3 D A B E 4 4

A E D A D A 1 3 2

D A D A B E

A E D A D A 1 2 3

90 First Flight of Geese Gerald Trimble D A G A 3 D 4 4

Em F#m G 3 A Em 3 F#m G A 3

D A G A 3 D

Em3 F#m G 3 A Em 3 F#m G A 3

Em 3 A D G A 3 D G

Em 3 A D A 3 D G A 3

Em 3 A D G A 3 D G

3 Em 3 A D A 3 D G A 3

91 The Rolling Wave Bm D Bm G 6 8

Bm D A G

D G D Em

D Bm A G

The Star Above the Garter G D C G D 6 8

G D C D

D G C G D

D G C D

92 The Humours of Ballyloughlin D G D C G C (D) 6 8

D G C G 1 D 2 D

C\Am D G D

C G C G 1 D 2 D

D G D G C (G)

D G D G C G 1 A D 2 A D

D C\Am

D G D A G D

93 Garrett Barry's Chieftains G Am G D C 6 8

D\Bm G Am D\G A\Em D D\G

D Em 3 C (D) A

D G 3 Em\A D G\D

Bryan O'Lynn Steeleye Span C Em C G Am 6 8

C(\F) Em C D C Am C Am 1 2

G C Dno3 C G

C D C D C Am Am 1 2

94 Snug in a Blanket Dave Swarbrick D C G D G C 6 8

D C G D G G 1 2

D C (G)

D D G D G G 1 2

95 Caliope House Cobblestone G D G Am C 6 8

G C D 1

2 G Em C D G

G D G C G Am

G C D 1

G Em C D G 2

96 O'Farrell's Welcome to Limerick Chieftains

9 8

97 Comb Your Hair and Curl It Chieftains Em (Bm) A D Em C Am (D) 9 8

G Em G Am (D) C Em Ano3 D (Am) (D)

C Em C Am (D) G D G D G D

98 99 Elizabeth Kelly's Chieftains

9 8

Fraher's Chieftains

9 8

100 Dinny Delaney's Chieftains

9 8

101 Humours of Whiskey Chieftains

9 8

3 3

Hardiman the Fiddler Chieftains

9 8

102 Sock in the Hole Em D Em Bm D Bm DLiz Carroll 2 4

D A D Bm Em D Bm A 1 2

A/D D G (D) D (G) A

D/A D G (D) Em A A 1 2

G HoleA in the Sock D G LizD Carroll 2 4 G D G Em A

D G Em

Bm A Em/G A

D G Em

Bm A Em/G A

103 My Rovin' Eye Dm\G C Dm\G C 4 4

Dm\G C G

Am C Dm C Dm Dm Am

C Dm 2 4 4 4

Blackwell Court C F C F C Dm F G 4 4

Am G F C Dm Am Dm Dm 1 2

F C Dm F Em

DmF G Am Dm Am Dm Dm 1 2

104 Mrs. Carroll's Strathspey Liz Carroll G Em 6 8

G C G D

C G 3 Em

C G 1 D 2 D

G Em

D G C D

G Em

C G Em D D 1 2

105 Rogues in a Nation Dm F Bb C Dm 1 Dm 2 Dm 4 2 4 4 4 4

F C Dm C Dm

Dm F C F Bb F

C Bb Dm Dm 2 4

Cam ye o'er frae France Am F Am G F Am G 6 4

Am F Am (C) Am G 4 4

Em F 6 4

106 Morgan Magan G C Am D 4 4

G D G Ano3 D

G D G C D C

G C C/Am/D D G D 1 G 2 G

Gno3 Am

C G Am G D

Cno3 Dno3

G C C/Am/D D G D G G 1 2

107 Lord Mayo's March

2 4

1 2

108 The Hunt Boys of the Lough G D C D 6 8

G D Am D

G D C D

G Am C 1 G 2 G

G F

C G D

C Am D C

G C G Am C D

G D G C D

G Am C G G 1 2

109 Suil Ghorm Altan Dm (Gno3) C Am Dm 9 8

F (Gno3) C

1 Am Bb C Dm Em Dm 3 6 8 8

Am Bb C 2 9 8

F C Dm Bb

F C Am G(no3)

Dm (Gno3) C Am Dm

F (Gno3) C Am Bb C Dm 3 6 8 8

Dm Em Dm Em\C Dm Em Dm

110 The Trees They Do Grow High Martin Carthy Em Bm 6 8

D A

G D Em Bm

D A Em

G D

Em D\Bm Em

111 The Sound of Sleet Glayva D G A D G D G A 4 4

A D A D A G Bm G A

D A G D G A

Bm Em D Em Bm G A

D G Bm A D G Bm G A

A Bm G Em A Em G A

112 The Trowie Burn (Am) Boys of the Lough

3 4

113 The Trowie Burn (Dm) Boys of the Lough

3 4

114 • Revision History •

8 July 1999 – Major update

Added Steve Glass transcribed tunes Changed Pinch of Snuff to version closer to what I’ve heard Peter Damachek play. Added version of Madame Bonaparte in key of A

3 July 1999

Added Maudabawn Chapel set

7 June 1999 – Major update

Reformatted most songs for easier readability. Fixed harmonies on several tunes. Replaced Smash the Windows reel with jig. Replaced Battering Ram with Black Rogue. Replaced Yellow Tinker with Drunken Tinker as per Nishi’s suggestion. Replaced Farewell to Ireland with correct version. Repaginated for proper left/right orientation for bound tune books. Added hornpipes: Home Rule, Rights of Man, King of the Fairies, Boys of Bluehill, Harvest Home Added Ashokan Farewell, Southwind, Sheebeg Sheemore, Tell Her I Am.

5 June 1999

Added Tam Lin, Hand Me Down the Tackle, Queen of the Rushes, Pinch of Snuff Also added Preface page. Fixed problem with The Battering Ram formatting.

3 June 1999

Fixed problems with Lucy Campbell and Teetotaller’s. Both had extra parts.

31 May 1999

First release for review

115