Within A Mile Of Dublin reel

I found this gem in Breathnach’s Ceol Rince Na hEireann, Volume 2 (# 179). It goes wonderfully as a slow, swingy, slippery set up to a fast, driving reel (such as Last Night’s Fun).

I learnt this tune a few years ago from a recording by Barney McKenna. He plays it first a couple of times as it is notated here, then with F naturals instead of F sharps, then switches back to major again to finish with. The change of mood (not to mention his playing) makes it a very nice set indeed. I also sometimes like to follow it with something in Em, like Cooley’s.

On Na Connerys Part II, they play a slightly different setting of this tune following the Bobby Casey’s that I posted -- it’s a current favorite set!

Zina

My transcription from
James Keane: “With Friends Like These”
FG|ADDE FEFG|ADDB c2BG|ADDE FD(3EFG|ABcA G2FG||
ADDE FEFG|ADDB cABG|ADDE FD(3EFG|AdcA G2FG||
Add^c AGFG|Adde fde^c|Add^c AGFG|AdcA G2FG||
Add^c AGFG|Adde fefg|af(3gfe fde^c|d^cAF G2||

A tune that is familiar to me (but I don’t know its name) is labeled as “within a mile of dublin” on the cobblestone session cd. Anyone know if this is just another version of this tune?

While identifying some Irish tunes derived from Scottish reel “Sleepy Maggie,” I found this tune is closely related to these tunes:

Eanach Mhic Coilin: https://thesession.org/tunes/78
The Pigeon on the Gate: https://thesession.org/tunes/517
The Old Ruined Cottage: https://thesession.org/tunes/557
The Four Courts: https://thesession.org/tunes/2278

I added a bunch of aliases from this address :
http://tadpole.mytunebook.de/tunes/xtrareel/xtrareel.htm

This in to Last Night’s Fun that is a good idea Will, I was looking for something to stick with that, and considering I appaently had this tune (I just started playing it) I think that would work.

I also like going from Within A Mile of Dublin into Sgt. Early’s Dream, or vice versa.

What about Sgt. Early’s Dream/Within a Mile of Dublin/Last Night’s Fun that would be a cool set, too bad the first one is in Ddorian, that is not a very Flute friendly key.

Try Within a Mile of Dublin into Tyrone Ashplant: https://thesession.org/tunes/78#comment99861 And finish the set with the Mountain Top. The three tunes are closely related, and the key changes will work.

The Tinkerman’s Wife: https://thesession.org/tunes/4944
The Chorus Reel: https://thesession.org/tunes/779

OK, I’ll stop now.

Just tried playing this tune through with all the F’s flattened (or should I say naturalised). It gives the tune a very broody feel which resolves when you then switch to playing it as is here. Nice contrast to my ears.

Donogh, you’ll love the tune called Mrs. Carolan’s: https://thesession.org/tunes/5842

Slainte, thanks for that suggestion. That’s another good tune alright.

Here’s a nice setting learned from a John & Catherine McEvoy recording, the difference being mainly in that second bar.

X:1
T:Within A Mile Of Dublin
M:4/4
L:1/8
R:reel
K:Dmix
FG|ADDE FEFG|AddB cABG|AD (3DDD FEFG|AdcA G2 FG|
AD (3DDD FEFG|AddB cABG|AD (3DDD FEFG|AdcA G2 FG|
|Addc AGFG|Adde f2ed|Addc AGFG|AdcA G2 FG|
Addc AGFG|Adde f2 fg|afge fde^c|dcAF G2 FG|

here’s another parent, albeit in a different key:
The Cat That Kittled In Jamie’s Wig: https://thesession.org/tunes/173
(the 2nd part at least, is very similar)

X:1
T:Within A Mile Of Dublin
M:4/4
L:1/8
R:reel
K:Dmix
|FG|:ADDE FEFG|ADDB c2Bc|ADDE FEFG|ABcA G2 FG:|
||Addc AGFG|Adde fgec|Addc AGFG|ABcA G2 FG|
Addc AGFG|Adde fefg|af (3gfe fde^c|dcAF G2 FG||

A variation I like:
FG|ADDE FD (3EFG|ADDd c2 Bc|ADDE cDEG|AdcA GcEG|
ADDE FD (3EFG|ADDd c2 Bc|ADDE cDEG|AdcA G2 FG|
|Addc AGFG|Adde fdec|Addc AGFG|AGcA GcEG|
Addc AGFG|Adde fd (3efg|(3agf (3gfe (3fed ec|dcAF G2 FG|

played by Felix Doran:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHnSxJwuHDA

play video

Barney’s version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1vkXWIbyak

play video

Found myself playing this as a strathspey on fiddle once. I like it better shifted down a string to Gmix, but I suppose I should notate it in Dmix for the sake of consistency. Meant to be played fast, as in the Cape Breton tradition.


X:1
T:Within a Mile of Dublin (strathspey)
R:strathspey
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Dmix
B>d|:A<D D>E F>E F>G|A<DD>d (3cBA (3BAG|A<D D>E F>E F>G|[1A/B/c/d/ (3cBA G>A B>d|:|[2A/B/c/d/ (3cBA G2F>G|
A<dd>c A<GF>G|A<dd>e (3fed (3ed^c|A<dd>c A<GF>G|A/B/c/d/ (3cBA G2F>G|
A<dd>c A>GF>G|A<dd>e f2f>g|(3agf (3gfe (3fga (3gfe|d>c A<F G>A B>d|

I like this version which is transcribed from:
O’Neill’s Music of Ireland (New & Revised) by Miles Krassen
Oak Publications, New York 1976
ISBN 0-8256-0173-8

Artist : Harry Bradley
Album : As I Carelessly Did Stray.