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Category Archives: Tune

Mills are Grinding (Ddor) 

The reel “The Mills are Grinding,” is also called “The Flowers of Limerick” and “Tuttle’s.”  It is one among a large family of similar tunes, in both Irish and Old-Time traditions, which is suitably played in various modes, and then given different titles: “The Bunch of Keys” (Gdor), “Telephone Reel” (Gaeol), “Paddy on the Turnpike” […]

The Tarbolton (Edor)

This two-part Scots reel is named after the Tarbolton Lodge, the Masonic Lodge in the village of Tarbolton, South Ayrshire, Scotland, near the River Ayr.  The name “Tarbolton” is from Tor-Bealtiunn in GĂ idhlig, meaning “Hill of Beltane,” where Beltane is a Druidic festival held on April 30th or May 1st celebrating the midpoint between the spring […]

Castle Kelly (Aaeol)

It’s unclear to which castle the title of this reel refers.  Some say it refers to the Castle Kelly in county Galway where Carolan (1670-1738) composed his air “Mabel Kelly.” However, there’s no reason I’ve yet uncovered for thinking this to be the reference as opposed to any other Castle Kelly, and there are many […]

Give Us a Drink of Water (G)

There are, in fact, two different slip jigs that go by the title “Give Us a Drink of Water.”  Both are in G, and both are two-part tunes.  The first is #1530 in O’Neill’s 1850 (1903), #1131 in O’Neill’s 1001 (1907), and #420 in David J. Taylor’s Music for Sets: the Blue Book (1995).  The […]

Pipe on the Hob (Ador)

This three-part (double) jig is played AABBCC, and called “An PĂ­opa ar an mBaic” in Irish. It’s #705 in O’Neill’s 1850 (1903), and #9 in O’Neill’s 1001 (1907).  Through thr wonders of technology you can also transport yourself to a parlor, and listen to a version on ITMA from the 1930s, track 10.  A hob, […]

Drummond Castle (Aaeol)

This Scottish jig is named after a castle in Perthshire, Scotland, just south of Crieff in Muthill perish. It’s still a privately owned castle, and has extensive Italian Renaissance style gardens with a long history.  Sir Malcolm Drummond fought alongside Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn (1314) during the First War of Scottish Independence, and was […]

Newport Lass (D)

The double jig “Newport Lass(es)” or “Gearrchaile Bhaile UĂ­ bhFiacháin” in Irish, is a two part jig played AABB, and also called “Trip to Athlone.” For instance, it’s called the latter on Paddy Canny (1919–2008) & P. J. Hayes (1921 – 2001) recording (with Peadar O’Loughlin, and Bridie Lafferty) entitled All Ireland Champions: Violin (1959), re-released as An […]

Musical Priest (Bm)

The reel “Musical Priest” is “An Sagart Ceolmhar” in Irish, and also known as “The New Bridge of Edinburgh” as well as other names.  Like other tunes that come from the northern parts of Ireland it has that Scottish feel about it that makes some suspect that it’s imported from there. While it’s hard to […]

Exile of Erin (Dmix)

“Exile of Erin” was composed by banjoista Anthony “Sully” Sullivan, who plays the banjo with a “thimble” (actually, a piece of PVC pipe), and taught that trick to our own Dave Agee. Sully’s tunes have been recorded by Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill, LĂşnasa, Michael McGoldrick, DanĂş, Liz Carrol, Natalie MacMaster, and many others. Though […]

John Kelly’s (Favorite) Reel

John Kelly (1912-1989) was a fiddle and concertina player from rural west County Clare.  Born in Rehy, Cross, Kilballyowen, West Clare, he was strongly influenced by the playing of his grandmother Elizabeth Kelly and the music of the island of Scattery near the mouth of the Shannon, where he first spent a week when he […]