The Monaghan Twig reel

A good tune with a lot of different variations. This is listed as a variant title for The Monaghan Jig, but of course it’s not, it’s a separate tune.

I’m learning a different version of this hopefully tonight, so I’ll update tomorrow. Cheers!

a nice copperbottomed tune, one of my favs. Now I just need to learn how to play it…

S:Kelly, O’Brien, Sproule - Trad. Music of Ireland"
R:reel
Z:gmp
K:Amix
cAAG Aced|cAAG ~E3B|cAAB cAed|BAGB d2ed:|
cdef gfed|cdef e2cA|cdef ~g3e|dBGB d2ed|
cded cded|cAAB cdef|~g3e deed|BAGB d2ed||!

S:“Paddy Keenan : Poirt an Phiobaire”
R:reel
Z:g.m.p.
K:Amix
A3G cdec|cAAG EDEB|~A3B cded|BAGB dfed|
cAAB cAec|cAAG EDEB|~A3B cded|BAGB dfeA||
(3Bcd ef gfed|(3Bcdef edeA|(3Bcd ef gfge|dBGB dfeA|
(3Bcd ed cded|cAAB cdef|gfge dfed|BAGB dfec||

T:Monaghan Twig, The
T:Tinker’s Apron, The
M:C|
L:1/8
S:Paddy Keenan : “Poirt an Phiobaire”
R:reel
Z:gmp
K:Amix
“Paddy Keenan : Poirt an Phiobaire”
~A3G Acec|~A3G EDEB|~A3B cded|BAGB dfed|
~A3B cAec|~A3G EDEB|~A3B cded|BAGB dfeA|
(3Bcd ef gfed|(3Bcd ef edeA|(3Bcd ef gfge|dBGB dfeA|
(3Bcd ed cded|cAAB cdef|gfge dfed|BAGB dfec||!

X: 1
T: Monaghan Twig, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Amix
|:ed|cAAB cded|cAAG E3d|cAAB cded|BAGB d2ed|
cAAB cded|cAAG E3d|cAAB cded|BAGB d2||
|:(3Bcd ef gfed|(3Bcd ef e3d|(3Bcd ef gfge|dBGB d2ed|
(3Bcd ed (3Bcd ed|cAAB cdef|g3e dfed|BAGB d2||

Third tune here by Tara Breen, Cathal King and Noel Ryan from about 2.40

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Urwz6EMJkc&feature=rec-fresh+div

play video

And here it is from the Fleadh Cheoil 2009….. from about 3.35
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK8VTbcnACk

play video

Someone posted “The Three Scones Of Boxty” as an “alternative” title to this tune, but that’s a mistake, and I’ve removed it. The 2 tunes are quite often played in sets together, especially by players from the North of Ireland, and I think that’s probably the reason for confusion. This is one of the few tunes from Ireland which does seem to have only 1 title.

Can anyone confirm that this is a traditional tunes? Any idea about the origins?

Thanks.

I haven’t ever come across any composer suggested for this tune. In the several recordings I have of it -[ there are 43 listed above ]- it has always been listed as “Traditional”. I’ve always associated it with the North of Ireland, [ possibly Co.Fermanagh, but that’s a bit of speculation ], after hearing it played by Desi Wilkinson, and also at the Lorient festival in the mid-1980s by a Belfast group called “Dealan Deartha”. The first recording of the tune which I am aware of was by James Kelly, Paddy O’Brien and Daithi Sproule on the LP “Is It Yourself ?”.

It’s found in Ceol Rince na hEireann Book 2 as “The Tinker’s Apron” as played by whistler Johnny Maguire, recorded by Brian O’Donnell in Belfast, 1966 - another point in favour of its Northern associations.

I think that would be right , Nigel. I’m sure the “Is It Yourself” LP had accompanying notes which said the tune came from John / Johnny Maguire - whom I think I’m right in saying was the father of Sean Maguire.

http://youtu.be/a2Wuroc8DQU

play video

After 2 “Highlands” - starts around 2.mins - followed by “The High Road To Linton”.

Breathnach has it as The Tinker’s Apron (Aprún An Tincéara) in CRE2, with another similarly-named version in CRE4. This is what Josephine Keegan calls this tune too in her tunebook A Drop in the Ocean. The deprecated (as noted above) title Three Scones of Boxty also shows up here and there on occasion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LjdyTXvVTY

play video

The fiddler’s companion (http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc/) suggests that the original tune name may have been “the Monaghan Switch”. Either way, I don’t know what it might represent. Any ideas?

Sixholes, a switch is a collection of twigs, used like a broom. Of course, it might have another meaning altogether!

Are there any other tunes with “twig” in the name?

Arthur Figgis : Did a bit of googling for tunes with “twig” in the name - on folktunefinder and abcnotation.com. There is “Holly Twig”, “Crushing the Twigs” aka Muilleann na Maidi, “Twiglet”, an English tune, “Twig the Mercer” which dates back to 1757, “Bitten Twig” which I think was a jig., and lastly “Gig’s Twigs”, a more recent tune. I scribbled these down so I hope I have got them right. Having lived for 15 years in Orkney (not quite treeless but rather short of twigs), I’ve enjoyed rediscovering the shapes and leaves of trees other than sycamore - the most common tree in Orkney, particularly in Kirkwall, the main town.

On Brid Cranitch and Sheila Garry’s “Orange Book” recording (https://thesession.org/recordings/6575) they play this tune but call it Three Scones of Boxty.

The Cranitchs got it wrong then. Two distinct tunes but quite often played together by musicians from the North of Ireland, so an understandable mistake.

Flute setting.