Irish Session Tunes for Violin

Blarney Stone PubSan Diego, California

Irish Session Tunes

Michael Eskineskin@home.com

2

Preface

I came to Irish session music only quite recently in my musical lifetime. It became clear tome very quickly that it can be very difficult for beginning players to bootstrap themselvesinto becoming participating members of a session. So often the tunes go by so quickly, andit 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 theyare commonly played. Many times I have watched beginners, (myself included)desperately flipping through books trying to find a tune being played, only to have thegroup move on to another tune just when its been found in the book, or worse, neverfinding it at all so that there isn’t a chance that they will be able to play it the followingweek.

Using this book and some practice, new players should be able to become participatingmembers 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 Parkfor 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 oftunes.

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 acomprehensive list of tunes for dancers.

Production Notes

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

(c) Copyright 1999 Michael Eskin This file may be distributed freely and may not be usedfor commercial purposes, such as printing a tune book to sell.

Questions? Corrections? Tune suggestions? E-mail: eskin@home.com

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

3

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

4

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'sRambles 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

5

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 – 94Calliope House

6

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

7

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

C

1 2

1 2

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

C

~~

~~

~

3

~

3

~

8

Lucy Campbell

C~ ~

~ ~

~ ~~

~ ~

~~ ~ ~

~~ ~ ~

~

1 ~ ~

~

2

9

Jolly Tinker, The

C~ ~ ~ ~

1 32

3 3

3

3 3

3

~

3

~

1 2

10

Lads of Laois, The

C

~ ~

~ ~

1

~

2

~

3

~

~ ~ 1 2

Sailing into Walpole's Marsh

C~

~~

~ ~ ~

~ ~~

~ ~ ~

~ ~

~

~

~ ~

11

Hunter's House, The Ed Reavy

C~ ~

~ ~

~

~

~ ~

12

Cameronian Reel, The

C~

~ ~ ~3 3 3

3

Rakish Paddy

C~

1 2

13

14

Merry Blacksmith, The

C

Cooley's Joe Mills, Galway (1938)

C ~

3

~

1 2

~ ~ ~

~ ~

1 2

15

Mountain Road, The Michael Gorman (1895-1970)

C~

1

~

2

~ ~ ~1 2

16

Salamanca Reel, The

C

3 3

~ ~

~ ~

1 2

3

~ ~ ~ 1 2

Peter Street

C

3 3 3 3

3 3

3 3 3 3

~ ~

17

18

Pigeon on the Gate, The

C~ ~

3

~

~ ~3

~3

3

Earl's Chair, The

C ~~ ~1 2

~ ~

~

~ ~

19

Woman of the House, The

C ~ ~

3

~

~

3

~

~

~ ~

~ ~

~ 3 ~

~

20

Cup of Tea, The

C

1 2

~

~ ~

~

21

Dunmore Lasses, The

C~

~ ~

~

~ 1

~

2

~ ~

~

~3

~

1 2

22

Ashplant, The

C~

~

~

3

~

~ ~

~

3

Jackie Coleman's

C~

~

1 2

~ ~

1 2

23

Bag of Spuds, The

C

Bird on a Tree, The

C ~ ~

~ ~ ~

~ ~

~ ~

~

24

Musical Priest, The

C ~

1

~

2

3

~

~ ~ ~

1

~

2

Jenny's Chickens

C

~ ~ ~

~

~ ~

~

1 2

25

Wise Maid, The (John Doherty ?)

C~

3

~

~

3

~

1 2

~

3 1 2

Morning Dew, The

C ~

1 2

~ ~ ~

~

1 32

26

Bucks of Oranmore, The

C~

~~

1

~

2

~ ~ ~

1

~

2

1 ~2

1 ~2

~

28

Scholar, The

C~

~

1 2

1 2

Teetotaller's Reel

44

3

29

Saint Anne's Reel

C

~

~

30

Mason's Apron, The

C~ ~

~

1 2

1 2

31

Farewell to Ireland

C

~

~

~ ~ ~

~

~

~

3 3~

~

3~

~

3 3

~

~

~

~

~

32

Sligo Maid, The

C

~ ~

~

~

~

Pigeon on the Gate, The

C~ ~

3

~

~ ~3

~3

3

33

Cooley's Joe Mills, Galway (1938)

C ~

3

~

1 2

~ ~ ~

~ ~

1 2

34

Ships Are Sailing

C

3 3

~3 3

~

1 2

~

~ ~ ~ ~ 1 2

Morning Star, The

C ~ ~ ~3 3

~3 3

~

35

Jolly Tinker, The

C~ ~ ~ ~

1 32

~

~

3 3

3

3 3

~

3

~

1 2

Lady Montgomery

C~ ~

1 2

1

~

2

36

Maid of Mount Cisco, The Paddy Killoran (?)

C~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~

3

~

1 2

~ ~

3 1 32

~ ~

~ ~

~

31

~

2

Down the Broom

C~

~

~

~ ~ 1

~

2

~

~

1 2

37

Star of Munster, The

C

~

~

~ 1 ~2

38

Chicago Reel, The

C~

~

3

~

~

~ ~ ~ ~

~

Sally Gardens, The

C

3

3

~

~ 3

39

Man of the House, The

C

1 2

1 2

40

Tam Lin

C

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~

~

41

Hand Me Down the Tackle

C

~ ~

~

~~

42

Pinch of Snuff

C

43

Maudabawn Chapel Ed Reavy (1898-1988)

C~ ~

~

~

~

The Wild Irishman

C

~ ~

31 32

1 2

The Abbey Reel

C~ ~ ~

1

~

~2

~ ~

~ ~

44

Cathleen Hehir's

68 ~

1 2

1 2

~

1 2

1 2

45

Lark in the Morning, The

68

1 2

~

~ 1 2

~ 1 2

46

Mooncoin Jig, The

68

47

Langstrom's Pony

68

~ ~

~ ~

~ ~

~

48

Caliope House Dave Richardson

68

~ ~ ~

~1 ~2

~

~

~

~

~

Banks of Lough Gowna, The

68

1

~

2

~

~

~

1 2

49

Orphan, The

68

~~

~~

1 2

~

1 2

50

Tobin's Favourite

68

~ ~ ~

~

~

Smash the Windows

68

51

52

Trip to Athlone, The

68

~

1 2

~ 1 2

Tripping Up the Stairs

68

1 2

1 2

56

Arthur Darley's Jig Arthur Darley

68 ~

1 2

1 2

57

58

Old Favourite, The

68 ~

~

1 2

~

~ 1 2

Cliffs of Moher, The

68

1

~2

59

Bill Hart's Jig

68 ~

~

~

~

~

~ 1 2

~

60

Swallowtail Jig, The

68

1 2

1 2

The Road to Lisdoonvarna

68

61

62

Kesh Jig, The

68 ~ ~

~ ~

1 2

~ ~

~

Morrison's Jig

68

~~

~ ~

~ ~ ~

~

63

Trip to Sligo, The

68

1 2

1 2

64

When Sick is it Tea You Want?

68

1 2

1 2

Haste to the Wedding

68

~

1 2

~ ~

~

1 2

65

Off She Goes

68

~ ~

1 2

~ 1 2

66

Jig of Slurs, The

68

~

1 2

~

~

67

Atholl Highlanders, The

68

~ ~

~ 1 2

~ 1 2

1 2

68

Blarney Pilgrim, The

68

~

~

Rambling Pitchfork, The

68

~ ~

~

1 2

~

1 2

69

Black Rogue, The

68

~

~ ~

70

Banish Misfortune

68

71

72

Tell Her I Am

68

~ ~

~ ~

~ ~~

~ ~

1

~

~

2

73

Queen of the Rushes, The

68

1 2

~

1 2

~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~

74

Boys of Ballysadare, The

98

Butterfly, The Tommy Potts

98

75

Rocky Road to Dublin, The

98

Another Jig Will Do

98 ~

Deirdre's Fancy

98

1 2

1 2

76

Home Ruler, The Frank McCollum of Ballycastle

C~

3

~

3

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

C

3

77

King of the Fairies, The

C

3

3

3

78

Boys of Bluehill, The

C

3

3

3

Harvest Home

C

3 3 3 3

~ ~ ~

3 3 3 3

79

Madame Bonaparte

44

Madame Bonaparte

44

81

John Ryan's

24

1 2

1 2

82

Ashokan Farewell Jay Ungar, 1983.

34

83

South Wind, The Traditional

34

1 2

84

Sheebeg Sheemore Turlough O'Carolan

34

85

Trip to Skye John Whelan

68

Bm Bm/G A Bm

Bm Bm/G A Bm

D A Bm

D A Bm Bm/G

86

Jug of Punch Boys of the Lough

44

Dm Am

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

Dm Am (C)

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

Maids of Mitchelstown Bothy Band

44

Dm C Dm Am Dm Am C Dm

Cno3 Dno3 F159 Ano3 Bb159 Ano3 Gno31 Ano32

Dm C Dm Am Dm Am C Dm1 C Dm2

Cno3 Dno3 F159 Ano3 Bb159 Ano3 Gno31 Ano33 32

87

Cold, Haily, Windy Night Steeleye Span

44

Am C Dno3 Am

Am C Dno3 AmDno33

Am G C G

Am (C159) C Dno3 A159

Docherty's Reel Boys of the Lough

44

Am G C \D G\C G

Am G C \D G Am1 C D2

Am G Em G \C

Am\D G Em C G D1 G Am2

88

An Suisin Ban (F) Chieftains

44

Bb F 3 Bb F G C

F C Bb F 31 Bb F2

Bb F Bb F G C

F C Bb F1 Bb F 32

An Suisin Ban (C) Chieftains

44

F C 3 F C D G

C G F C 31 F C2

F C F C D G

C G F C1 F C 32

89

An Suisin Ban (G) Chieftains

44

C G 3 C G A D

G D C G 31 C G2

C G C G A D

G D C G1 C G 32

An Suisin Ban (D) Chieftains

44

G D 3 G D E A

D A G D 31 G D2

G D G D E A

D A G D1 G D 32

90

An Suisin Ban (A) Chieftains

44

D A 3 D A B E

A E D A 31 D A2

D A D A B E

A E D A1 D A 32

91

First Flight of Geese Gerald Trimble

44

D A G A 3 D

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

Em 3 A 3 D A 3 D G A 3

92

The Rolling Wave

68

Bm D Bm G

Bm D A G

D G D Em

D Bm A G

The Star Above the Garter

68

G D C G D

G D C D

D G C G D

D G C D

93

The Humours of Ballyloughlin

68

D G D C G C (D)

D G C G D1 D2

C\Am D G D

C G C G D1 D2

D G D G C (G)

D G D G C G A D1 A D2

D C\Am

D G D A G D

94

Garrett Barry's Chieftains

68

G Am G D C

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

68

C Em C G Am

C(\F) Em C D C Am1 C Am2

G C Dno3 C G

C D C D C Am1 Am2

95

Snug in a Blanket Dave Swarbrick

68

D C G D G C

D C G D G1 G2

D C (G)

D D G D G1 G2

96

Caliope House Cobblestone

68

G D G Am C

G C D1

G Em C D G2

G D G C G Am

G C D1

G Em C D G2

97

O'Farrell's Welcome to Limerick Chieftains

98

98

Comb Your Hair and Curl It Chieftains

98

Em (Bm) A D Em C Am (D)

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

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

99

100

Elizabeth Kelly's Chieftains

98

Fraher's Chieftains

98

4

4

4

101

Dinny Delaney's Chieftains

98

102

Humours of Whiskey Chieftains

98

3 3

Hardiman the Fiddler Chieftains

98

3

103

Sock in the Hole Liz Carroll

24

Em D Em Bm D Bm D

D A D Bm Em1 D Bm A2

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

D/A D G (D) Em A1 A2

Hole in the Sock Liz Carroll

24

G A D G D

G D G Em A

D G Em

Bm A Em/G A

D G Em

Bm A Em/G A

104

My Rovin' Eye

44

Dm\G C Dm\G C

Dm\G C G

Am C Dm C Dm Dm Am

24

44

C Dm

Blackwell Court

44

C F C F C Dm F G

Am G F C Dm Am Dm1 Dm2

F C Dm F Em

DmF G Am Dm Am Dm1 Dm2

105

Mrs. Carroll's Strathspey Liz Carroll

68

G Em

G C G D

C G 3 Em

C G D1 D2

G Em

D G C D

G Em

C G Em D1 D2

106

Rogues in a Nation

44

Dm F Bb C

24

Dm

44

Dm1 Dm2

F C Dm C Dm

Dm F C F Bb F

C Bb Dm

24

Dm

Cam ye o'er frae France

64

Am F Am G F Am G

Am F Am (C) Am G

44

64

Em F

107

Morgan Magan

44

G C Am D

G D G Ano3 D

G D G C D C

G C C/Am/D D G D G1 G2

Gno3 Am

C G Am G D

Cno3 Dno3

G C C/Am/D D G D G1 G2

108

Lord Mayo's March

24

1 2

1

2

109

The Hunt Boys of the Lough

68

G D C D

G D Am D

G D C D

G Am C G1 G2

G F

C G D

C Am D C

G C G Am C D

G D G C D

G Am C G1 G2

110

Suil Ghorm Altan

98

Dm (Gno3) C Am Dm

F (Gno3) C

Am Bb

38

C

68

Dm Em Dm1

98

Am Bb C2

F C Dm Bb

F C Am G(no3)

Dm (Gno3) C Am Dm

F (Gno3) C Am Bb

38

C

68

Dm

Dm Em Dm Em\C Dm Em Dm

111

The Trees They Do Grow High Martin Carthy

68

Em Bm

D A

G D Em Bm

D A Em

G D

Em D\Bm Em

112

The Sound of Sleet Glayva

44

D G A D G D G A

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

113

The Trowie Burn (Am) Boys of the Lough

34

114

The Trowie Burn (Dm) Boys of the Lough

34

115

• Revision History •

8 July 1999 – Major update

Added Steve Glass transcribed tunesChanged 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 HomeAdded 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 SnuffAlso 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