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Julia Clifford’s polka

Also known as Johnny Leary’s, Johnny O’Leary’s, Tarrant’s.

There are 25 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

Julia Clifford’s has been added to 5 tune sets.

Julia Clifford's has been added to 30 tunebooks.

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Five settings

1
X: 1
T: Julia Clifford's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:A|f>a ge|ff/a/ ge|fd ed|e/f/e/d/ Bd|
f2 ge|f>a ge|fd e/f/e/c/|d2 d:|
|:d/B/|A>F AB|Af af|ed ef/e/|dA Bd/B/|
A>F AB|Af af|ed ef/e/|d2 d:|
2
X: 2
T: Julia Clifford's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:e|~f2 ge|~f2 ge|fd ed|e/f/e/d/ BA|
~f2 ge|~f2 ge|fd e/f/e/c/|df d:|
|:B|A>B AF|Af af|e>d ef/e/|dA B/c/d/B/|
A>B AF|Af af|ef gb|ef/e/ d:|
3
X: 3
T: Julia Clifford's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:e|fa ge|ff/a/ ge|fd ed|e/f/e/d/ BA|
f2 ge|ff/a/ ge|fd ec|df d:|
|:B|A>B AF|Af af|ed ef/e/|dA B/c/d/B/|
A>B AF|Af af|ef gb|ef/e/ d:|
4
X: 4
T: Julia Clifford's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:e|ff/f/ ge|f>f ge|fd ed|g/f/e/d/ BA|
ff/f/ ge|ff/f/ g2|f/e/d ed/c/|df d:|
|:B|A>B AF|Af af|e>d ef/e/|dA Bd/B/|
AA/B/ AF|Af a2|e>f gb|ef/e/ d:|
5
X: 5
T: Julia Clifford's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:B/|A>F AB|A>F Af|e2 ef|dB B/c/d/B/|
A>F AB|A>F Af|e/d/e/f/ gb|ef d3/2:|
|:e/|f>f g/f/e|f>f g/f/e|fd ed|e/f/e/d/ BA|
f>f g/f/e|f>f g/f/e|fd e/f/e/c/|df d3/2:|

Six comments

S: Julia Clifford (Murphy) ~ hence "Julia Clifford’s"

This is also know as Johnny O’Leary’s or Johnny Leary’s, but putting that down in the alternate titles section would swamp this entry with more unrelated links to recordings.

I’m surprised this isn’t here, but then, it is possible it was removed in the past when some folks left the site and all their contributions and comments went with them, as per their request, to leave completely…

The transcription given is from the playing of Julia Clifford, minus the fine details, ornamentation, etc. However, Julia starts it on the first bar so ~

|: f>a ge | ff/a/ ge | ~

And of the one recording still available she pairs this with ~

"Bill the Weaver"
https://thesession.org/tunes/1914

This pair available on the following recordings, and all 3 track given below are of the same Topic recording:

LP: "Music from Sliabh Luachra Vol. 3: The Humours of Lisheen - John and Julia Clifford/Murphy"
Topic 12TS311 - Ossian: OSS 14
https://thesession.org/recordings/1433
17.) Julia Clifford’s Polka / Bill the Weaver

CD: "The Rushy Mountain: Classic Music From Sliabh Luachra 1952-77"
https://thesession.org/recordings/1274
14.) Julia Clifford’s Polka / Bill the Weaver

CD: "Round the House and Mind the Dresser: Irish County-House Dance Music"
https://thesession.org/recordings/317
21.) Julia Clifford’s Polka / Bill the Weaver

"Julia Clifford’s" - another way with it…

X: 2
T: Julia Clifford’s
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
|: e |\
fa ge | ff/a/ ge | fd ed | e/f/e/d/ BA |
f2 ge | ff/a/ ge | fd ec | df d :|
|: B |\
A>B AF | Af af | ed ef/e/ | dA B/c/d/B/ |
A>B AF | Af af | ef gb | ef/e/ d :|

& some other possibilities

X: 3
T: Julia Clifford’s
T: Johnny O’Leary’s
T: Johnny Leary’s
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: DMaj
|: e |\
ff/f/ ge | f>f ge | fd ed | g/f/e/d/ BA |
ff/f/ ge | ff/f/ g2 | f/e/d ed/c/ | df d :|
|: B |\
A>B AF | Af af | e>d ef/e/ | dA Bd/B/ |
AA/B/ AF | Af a2 | e>f gb | ef/e/ d :|

Denis Murphy’s Version

Here’s what I can get from Denis Murphy’s playing, he plays it 2nd part first, compared to Julia’s playing. A more common ending going up to the high b, compared with Julia’s version.

X: 1
T: Julia Clifford’s
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
|: A>F AB | A>F Af | e2 ef | dB B/c/d/B/ |
A>F AB | A>F Af | e/d/e/f/ gb | 1 ef d>B :| 2 ef d>e ||
|: f>f g/f/e | f>f g/f/e | fd ed | e/f/e/d/ BA |
f>f g/f/e | f>f g/f/e| fd e/f/e/c/ |1 df d>e :|2 df d>B|

Johnny Leary’s

I was looking for notes for the tunes in the Johnny Leary’s Polkas set
from The Mist Covered Mountain - DeDannan
https://thesession.org/recordings/480

The tune links for that recording are:

Johnny O’Leary’s slide
https://thesession.org/tunes/5117
O’Keefe’s slide
https://thesession.org/tunes/53
Johnny I Do Miss You polka
https://thesession.org/tunes/2781

The first 2 tunes are of course slides and therefore not the tunes you were looking for… 🙂
The last tune is correct. I couldn’t find a suitable Johnny Leary’s Polka here so I’ve added notes
myself - as best I could 🙂

I’ll get around to O’Keefe’s Polka later

X: 4 "Julia Clifford’s Polka"

enirehtac - catherine’s transcription just above, with lead-ins…

It does make that ‘sense’, going from the low part to the high part…