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The Macroom Lasses reel

Also known as Farrel O’Gara’s Favourite, Farrell O’Gara’s Favourite, Hilary’s Choice, The Lasses, Last Night’s Fun, Macroom, Macroom Lass, The Macroom Lass, Macroom Lassies, The Macroom Lassies, The Macroom, The Macroon Lasses, Old Joe Sife, The Well-Humoured.

There are 14 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The Macroom Lasses appears in 2 other tune collections.

The Macroom Lasses has been added to 7 tune sets.

The Macroom Lasses has been added to 37 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Five settings

1
X: 1
T: The Macroom Lasses
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
|:EAAc B2gf|eccB cAFA|EFAc B2gf|eccB cAA2:|
|:aefa e2ce|dBBA BF~F2|aefa eac'a|babc' ~a3b|
c'afa e2ce|dBBA BF~F2|EFAc B2gf|eccB cAA2:|
2
X: 2
T: The Macroom Lasses
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
|:EAAc B2af|(3efe cA BAFA|EAAc B2af|ecdB cAAF|
EAAc B2af|(3efe cA BAFA|EAAc B2af|ecdB cAA2:|
|:aefa (3efe ce|dBcA BAFA|aefa eac'a|babc' a2ab|
c'afa (3efe ce|dBcA BAFA|EAAc B2af|ecdB cAA2:|
3
X: 3
T: The Macroom Lasses
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
D~G3 A2 ge|dBcA BGEG|DG E/F/G ~A2 ge|dBAc BGG:|
gdeg d2 Bd|cABG A ~E3|gdeg dgbg|agab g2 ga|
bgeg d/e/d B/c/d|cABG AG E/F/G|D~G3 A/B/A ge|dB c/B/A BGG||
4
X: 4
T: The Macroom Lasses
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
DGGBA2ge|dBGB AGEG|DGGBA2ge|dBcA BGGE
DGGBA2ge|dBGB AGEG|DGGBA2ge|dBcA BGG2:|
|:gdeg edBd|cABG AGEG|gdeg dgbg|agaba2ga|
bgeg edBd|cABG AGEG|DGGBA2ge|dBcA BGG2:|
5
X: 5
T: The Macroom Lasses
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
|:AF|EAAc BAaf|ecBd cAFA|EAAc BAaf|ecBc A2:|
(3(efg)|agaf eace|dBcA BAfg|agaf eac'a|babc' a2ab|
c'afa eace|dBcA BAFA|EFAB cAaf|ecBc A2||

Eight comments

This is basically the same tune as Farrel O’Gara’s Schottische, posted a few days ago by macsheoinin, but in a different rhythm. I decided to post it as a separate tune because I mentioned it in the discussion on single reels. In this case, the A-part is single (8 bars, including repeat), while the B-part is double(16 bars, including repeat).

For fiddle/mandolin/banjo players, this tune just slides off the fingers. Even the change of position required to reach the high C#s in the B-part comes easily once you get the hang of it. Refer to macsheoinin’s comments on the schottische version for technical tips.

Another setting (and another title)

Josephine Keegan has this as “Hilary’s Choice” in her recent publication, “A Drop In The Ocean”. Interestingly, she has it as a pure double reel.

X:1
T:Hilary’s Choice
M:4/4
R:Reel
K:A
|:EAAc B2af|(3efe cA BAFA|EAAc B2af|ecdB cAAF|
EAAc B2af|(3efe cA BAFA|EAAc B2af|ecdB cAA2:||
|:aefa (3efe ce|dBcA BAFA|aefa eac‘a|babc’ a2ab|
c’afa (3efe ce|dBcA BAFA|EAAc B2af|ecdB cAA2:||

Jackie Daly’s

Another tune from Lets Have A Session,
Continuing The Tradition,
A Second Complication of Traditional Irish Music.
Settings Selected and Arranged by Kathleen Harte. Kathleen Harte is a Piano Accordion Player from Melbourne, Australia.

Re: The Macroom Lasses

I found this tune published in the Ryan’s Mammoth Collection book (originally published in 1883), labelled as “Last Night’s Fun.” That version is a straight double reel. Great tune, loads of fun to play!

The Macroom Lasses, X:5

From O’Neill’s “1001 Gems - The Dance Music of Ireland”.
Very close to the version I remember hearing for the very first time at a Dublin session (several decades ago).