Mulqueen's

reel

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on May 25th 2001 by Jeremy.

This tune has been added to 115 tunebooks.

Also known as The Best Donegal Reel Ever, Charlie Harris', Charlie Harris's, Free And Easy, Kerry Lasses, Mulqueeny's, Spindle Shanks, The Spindle's Shank, The United .

Recordings of a tune by this name:

An Ocean's Breadth by Mick McAuley
Blue by Colman Connolly, Tobias Kurig, Franziska Urton
Buttons And Bows by Jackie Daly, Seamus And Manus McGuire
Castle Ceili Band by Castle Ceili Band
Come West Along The Road by Brian O'Connor
Cooley's House by Conor Keane
Crossing by Any Old Time
Driven by Donall Donnelly And Brian Hanlon
Fierce Traditional by Frankie Gavin
Foinn Seisiun 3 by Ennis/Dublin Session Group
Haven't Yet Lost My Ears by Finvarra's Wren
Here Among Strangers by S�ucra
Irish Jigs And Reels by Various Artists
Jody's Heaven by Jody's Heaven
John McCusker by John McCusker
Just Me And A Fiddle by The Flyin' Fiddler Wayne Cantwell
Live At Trinity Hall by Trinity Hall Session Players
Midnight On The Water by The Kings River Band
One by Murphy Roche Irish Music Club
Open The Door For 3 by Nuada
Regrouped by Boys Of The Lough
Riverdance And Other Famous Irish Songs And Dances by Various Artists
Song For Ireland by De Danann
Sporting Nell by Tommy McCarthy
Streetlife by Patrick Street
The Blue CD by Irish Session Tunes
The Crooked Stair by Cran
The Long Notes by Brian Kelly, Jamie Smith, And Collette O'Leary
The One-Horned Cow by The Suffering Gaels
Three by Nightingale
Top Of Coom by Conal Ó'Gráda
Traditional Irish Music (traditional Music Session From Belfast) by Various Artists
Traditional Irish Music From Boston by The Magic Square
Traditional Irish Music From Doolin Co. Clare by Terry Bingham
Traditional Music From Ireland by Seamus Creagh And Aidan Coffey
Up Close by Kevin Burke
Welcome Here Again by Martin Hayes And Dennis Cahill
Woman Of The House by Cherish The Ladies

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The first part of this tune is a finger twister (like a tongue twister but you have to play it, not say it). Your fingers don't have to move very far and that's probably what makes it so tricky.

The real fun begins in the second part. While the first part is played low with lots of quick notes, the second part takes with high notes that can be held for quite a while.

If you play fiddle, try turning the long E note at the start of the second part into a half-chord by playing the open A string as well. I can't really refer to this as a double-stop because you're not stopping any strings. You'll find this playing of two open strings held for half a bar a lot of fun when tune is swinging away at a good session speed.

The last phrase can also be played a number of different ways. Try lengthening the A and G notes, thereby shortening the F sharp and E notes, and vise-versa.

# Posted on June 2nd 2001 by Jeremy

Mulqueen's in G

Someone requested this tune last week, but Jeremy had already posted it himself. His version, in D is, I think, the more common version played these days, but I have a feeling it was originally in G. According to sleeve notes from the "Castle Ceili Band" who recorded it on a Comhaltas LP,this tune is associated with the North Clare tradition. Recorded in this key by Conal O'Grada and Cathal McConnell (among others). Here's the abc :

Good luck with the high notes !

# Posted on May 28th 2003 by Kenny

Thanks for the info Kenny. Looks like it got changed to D because the high C's were a bit much. I'm alright on my concertina - it involves only about a millimetre's extra stretch!

# Posted on May 28th 2003 by Dow

This is a great tune which is also called "free and easy" and the "kerry lasses". It may have originally come via the whistling of Jimmie Ward from Miltown Malbay. Jackie Daly plays a nice arrangement on the Patrick Street - street life album:

F2 EG FDDE|FDAG FDDE|F2 EG FDDE|FABc dBAG|
F2 EG FDDE|FDAG FD (3FFF|F2 EG FDDE|FABc d2 cd||
e2 {ef}ef efed|cdef g2 fg|e2 {ef}ef efed|cABc d2 cd|
e2 {ef}ef efed|cdef gefg|a~f3 g~e3|dfec dBAG||

Almost all the F2 and E2 notes are played Fz and Ez by him, which seems to help bring bounce and lift to the tune. He plays it in a set following King of the Pipers (the Franc A'Phoill version) and follows it with the "house on the hill", which is another great tune!

# Posted on June 11th 2003 by Jamie

Oh, and JC's abc site lists "Free and Easy" as from O'Neills

# Posted on June 11th 2003 by Jamie

Another version

Here's another setting from the Boston-based band, The Magic Square. Dfifferent approach than anything else I've heard on this.

X: 1
T: Mulqueen's
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
D: The Magic Square
K: D maj
DE | FE (3EEE FDDE- | EFFA dABA | FE (3EEE FDDE | FAef dBAG |
| FE (3EEE FDDE- | EFFA dABA | FE (3EEE FDDE | FAef dBAd ||
|Be (3eee e2 ed | (3Bcd ef gfed | (3Bcd ef {f}g2 gd | B3 c dBAd | Beed
|efed | (3Bcd ef {f}g2 fg | afge dfec | Bgec dBAG||

# Posted on November 26th 2003 by Will CPT

From the sleeve notes of Frankie Gavin's album Fierce Traditional, this is a tune found in O'Neill, from the playing of Jeremiah Breen, a blind north kerry fiddler. First published in 1922. Mr Gavin plays it through by itself several times varying the ornamentation on the long notes in the second part, and it sounds like one of those loopy tunes that can go on for ever - I love it!

# Posted on February 11th 2005 by clunk999

The United Reel

The Kings River Band recorded this tune as The United Reel.

# Posted on June 18th 2007 by PaddyCmusic

Open House

This tune is played beautifully by Kevin Burke on the self-titled Open House CD (track 7). They didn't know the name, and it is listed in the track listing as untitled.

# Posted on June 24th 2007 by ready.eddy