Ellen O’Leary’s jig

This is from the only recording of Johnny O Leary’s on CD that I know of. Its from "Music from the Set " CD and is the same tune as used in the "Irish tune info" site as you can hear Johnny saying at the start that he is goin to play a tune for a wee lassie. There are a few different notes johnny plays during the tune that I did not include in the abc s as I would have had to write the whole tune twice to get in the differences it is my first post and i did not want to be too complicated but it is worth noting that he only plays the last line of the second part the second time round. He also plays B EE where G EE occurs in the first part the second time.

X: 2
T: Ellen O’Leary’s
S: Johnny O’Leary
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: DMaj
|: G |\
FDD EFG | Adc A2 G | FDD GEE | FDD EDE |
FDD EFG | Adc A2 G | FDD GEE | FDD D2 :|
|: g |\
fed edc | Adc d2 e | fed edc | ABA A2 [dg] |
fed edc | Adc A2 G | FDD GEE | FDD D2 :|

For the B-part, bar 4, Johnny usually plays the higher g, but sometimes plays d. And, occassionally he’d through in the following variation second time through the B-part, as a second ending:

[2 fed edc | Adc d2 g | fed edc | ABA A2 d |
f/g/af edc | Adc A/B/AG | FDD GEE | FDD D2 |]

edited by Terry Moylan
Lilliput Press, Dublin, 1994
ISBN-10: 1-874675-42-2
ISBN-13: 978-1874675426

Page 57, tune #99: "Ellen O’Leary’s"

Notes, Terry Moylan: A favourite of Johnny’s daughter Ellen, ~ a version of no. 2 ‘Éireann Go Brách’. Johnny learned it from Paddy Lyons.

The speed Johnny played it at, as for a step dancer, was 3/8 x 107 bpm

That transcription, 28/2/1981 NPU, with minor adjustments:

X: 3
T: Ellen O’Leary’s
B: "Johnny O’Leary of Sliabh Luachra: Dance Music from the Cork-Kerry Border", Terry Moylan, page 57, tune #99
S: Johnny O’Leary
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: DMaj
AG |:\
FDD EFG | Adc A2 G | FDD GEE | FDD {G/}EDE |
FDD EFG | Adc ~A2 G | FDD GEE |[1 {G/}EDC D2 E :|[2 {G/}EDC D2 ||
|: g |\
fed edc | Adc d/c/de | fed edc | ABA A2 g |
f2 d edc | Adc ~A2 G | FDD GEE |[1 {G/}EDC D2 :|[2 {G/}EDC D |}

"Paddy Lyons, he was a fiddle-player that came around here. He stayed in a lot of houses around. He knew Pádraig O’Keeffe well. He slept one night with Pádraig O’Keeffe. The two of them were playing all night. I’d say they were in no bed. There was no sleeping, only playing." ~ Johnny O’Leary

correction ~ [2 {G/}EDC D |]

I wonder how many tunes from this book have been transcribed here over the years. Used copies will set you back about $125 USD minimum these days…it’d be nice to be able to peruse it for free. I’m on a bit of a tear learning all the well-known polkas and slides, Dave Mallison published a book of the former which is tops but nothing exists for the latter, I’d like to have more of this stuff in a printed form.

I was heading that way at one point dear Kevin, lots and lots of polkas and slides and other things, and versions and ways and variations. Life throws curves, and some folks were quicker to jump on publishing than I was, about dance and tunes, me of, and don’t laugh, little confidence.. I admit being slow, but moving from Ireland also had its affect. I so much believe that the best representation of the dance and music is the sources rather than the collector, and that added distance made that difficult, and now, well, now the greater body of those friends and acquaintances are no longer with us… For me, their heart and soul is valued more highly than the tunes, steps or figures. My ideal would have been to present both, in this case the tunes in context, with me merely on the side facilitating. 😉