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Dálaigh’s polka

Also known as The Breeches Buttoned On, Dálaigh’s #4, Downey’s, Port Downey, The Port Downey, Seamus Cussen’s, Séamus Cussen’s #1, West Kerry.

There are 21 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with Denis Murphy’s (a few times).

Dálaigh's has been added to 65 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Nine settings

X: 1
T: Dálaigh's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
|:D|E2 FA|Be ed|Bd/B/ AF|EF D2|E>F GA|Be ed|Bd/B/ AF|1FE E:|2FE E2||
|:Be ef|af ed|Be ef|af d2|Be ef|af ed|Bd/B/ AF|1FE EA:|2FE E||
X: 2
T: Dálaigh's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
E>F GF | Ee dB | GF/G/ AF |EF D2 |
E>F GF | Ee dB | GF/G/ AF | FE/D/ E2 ||
Be e>f | gf ed | Bd d>e | dc BA |
Be e>f | gf ed | GF/G/ AF | FE/D/ E2 |]
X: 3
T: Dálaigh's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
|: E>F GF | Ee dB | GF/G/ AF |EF D2 |
E>F GF | Ee dB | GF/G/ AF |FE/D/ E2 :|
|: Be e>f | gf ed | Bd d>e | dc BA |
Be e>f | gf ed | GF/G/ AF | FE/D/ E2 :|
X: 4
T: Dálaigh's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|: A>B cd | ea ge | d>e dB | GB dB |
A>B cd | ea ge | dB gB | BA A2 :|
|: ea ag/a/ | ba ge | ea ag/a/ | ba g2 |
ea ag/a/ | ba ge | d/e/d/B/ gB | BA A2 :|
X: 5
T: Dálaigh's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|: A>B cd | ea ge | d>e dB | AB G2 |
A>B cd | ea ge | dB gB |[1 BA AG :|[2 BA A2 ||
|: ea ag/a/ | ba gd | ea ag/a/ | ba g2 |
ea ag/a/ | ba ge | dB gB |[1 BA A2 :|[2 BA AG |]
X: 6
T: Dálaigh's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|: A,>B, CD | EA GE | D>E DB, | A,B, G,2 |
A,>B, CD | EA GE | DB, GB, |[1 B,A, A,G, :|[2 B,A, A,2 ||
|: EA AG/A/ | BA GD | EA AG/A/ | BA G2 |
EA AG/A/ | BA GE | DB, GB, |[1 B,A, A,2:|[2 B,A, A,G, |]
X: 7
T: Dálaigh's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
|: D |E>F GA | Be dB | A>B AF | EF D2 |
E>F GA | Be dB | AF dF | FE E- :|
|: E |Be ed/e/ | fe dA |Be ed/e/ | fe d2 |
Be ed/e/ | f/g/f/e/ dA | BA dF | FE E- :|
X: 8
T: Dálaigh's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|: G |A2 Bd | ea ag | eg/e/ dB | AB G2 |
A>B cd | ea ag | eg/e/ dB |[1 BA A :|[2 BA A2 ||
|: ea ab | d’b ag | ea ab | d’b g2 |
ea ab | d’b ag | eg/e/ dB |[1 BA Ad :|[2 BA A |]
|: G |A2 B/c/d | ea- ag | e^d/e/ =dB | AB G>E |
AA/B/ cd | ea ag | eg dB |[1 A2 A :|[2 A2 A2 ||
|: EA AB | dB AG | EA- AB | dB G2 |
EA AB | dB A/B/A/G/ | EG/E/ D[B,G] |[1 [B,B][A,A] AD :|[2 [B,B][A,A] A |]
X: 9
T: Dálaigh's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
|: E>F GF | Ee dB | GB AF | EF D2 |
E>F GF | Ee dB | GB AF |[1 FE ED :|[2 FE E2 ||
Be ef | gf ed | Bd d>e | dc BA |
Be ef | g/a/g/f/ ed | GB AF |[1 FE E2 :|[2 FE ED |]

Fourteen comments

Downey’s

Source: Beginish : "Stormy Weather"
Transcription: Gian Marco Pietrasanta

Redwood

To my ears this is not the same polka that’s on Lunasa’s Redwood. They call it "West Kerry Polka" but there are many tunes by that name…

This is the same polka played by Four Men and a Dog on "Maybe Tonight" , 2nd tune of their West Kerry Set.

I don’t know what it’s called rightly…

Discussion: Another polka’s name sought ~ “The Bobenheim Polka II” ~ ?!

# Posted on February 20th 2007 by brotherstorm
https://thesession.org/discussions/12751

T: gan ainm polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
|: E>F GF | Ee dB |1 GF/G/ AF |EF D2 :|2 GF/G/ AF | FE/D/ E2 ||
|: Be e>f | gf ed |1 Bd d>e | dc BA :|2 GF/G/ AF | FE/D/ E2 ||

I learned it as "Bobenheim Polka II" but I doubt it’s the original name. ~ brotherstorm

Brotherstorm’s take on this ~ with adjustments

Here it is again, my rewrite of the previous,
with key correction and as they usually come, 32 bars worth:

M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: E Dorian
|: E>F GF | Ee dB | GF/G/ AF |EF D2 |
E>F GF | Ee dB | GF/G/ AF |FE/D/ E2 :|
|: Be e>f | gf ed | Bd d>e | dc BA |
Be e>f | gf ed | GF/G/ AF | FE/D/ E2 :|

I agree, definately not the one on lúnasa’s CD. That one sounds more akin to Ègans.

West Kerry, as is also true for "The West Kerry Set", is famous for polkas, lots of them, and way back when a good lot of them were nameless, ‘gan ainm’… To tie these to geography was not uncommon, and more than one tune has been given that identification with "West Kerry"…

Duplications ~

Gan Ainm / "Dalaigh’s Polka" / "Séamus Cussen’s Polka"
& for some daft reason tagged "Ray’s Favorite" by a submitter who hasn’t had the courtesy to offer any comment… :-P
Submitted on December 2nd 2004 by trimthevelvet.
https://thesession.org/members/11872
https://thesession.org/tunes/3956

X: 1
T: Dalaigh’s
T: Séamus Cussen’s
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: ADor
|: A>B cd | ea ge | d>e dB | GB dB |
A>B cd | ea ge | dB gB | BA A2 :|
|: ea ag/a/ | ba ge | ea ag/a/ | ba g2 |
ea ag/a/ | ba ge | d/e/d/B/ gB | BA A2 :|

"Séamus Cussen’s Polka"
Submitted on February 21st 2011 by faas.
https://thesession.org/members/50399
~ /tunes/11084

X: 1
T: Séamus Cussen’s
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Ador
|: A>B cd | ea ge | d>e dB | AB G2 |
A>B cd | ea ge | dB gB |[1 BA AG :|[2 BA A2 ||
|: ea ag/a/ | ba gd | ea ag/a/ | ba g2 |
ea ag/a/ | ba ge | dB gB |[1 BA A2 :|[2 BA AG |]


& Notes / Comments:

Go Low, Baby!

Yes! another polka that can be played in both octaves. Thus:

X: 1
T: Seamus Cussons
N: low octave
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Ador
|: A,>B, CD | EA GE | D>E DB, | A,B, G,2 |
A,>B, CD | EA GE | DB, GB, |[1 B,A, A,G, :|[2 B,A, A,2 ||
|: EA AG/A/ | BA GD | EA AG/A/ | BA G2 |
EA AG/A/ | BA GE | DB, GB, |[1 B,A, A,2:|[2 B,A, A,G, |]

Woo Hoo!

# Posted on February 25th 2011 by jaychoons
https://thesession.org/members/54884

Gan Ainm / “Dalaigh’s Polka” / “Séamus Cussen’s Polka”

This is one of a couple of untitled polkas to be found on Michael Tubridy’s The Eagle’s Whistle LP. On the sleeve he says:

"[These] three polka…were often played for the first four figures of the Plain Set. It was not usual for tunes to be played in groups as they are now - one tune sufficed for each figure of the set - occasionally one of the better or more adventurous musicians would change into a second tune in the middle of one of the longer figures."

The first polka in his set is
"Ballydesmond Polka No.3" https://thesession.org/tunes/1410
The second is "The Lass of Gowrie" https://thesession.org/tunes/1792

# Posted on July 1st 2007 by nigelg
https://thesession.org/members/11834

Gan Ainm / “Dalaigh’s Polka” / “Séamus Cussen’s Polka” ~ stepping through the changes

X: 1
T: Dalaigh’s
T: Séamus Cussen’s
T: Downey’s
Z: gian marco
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Edor
|: D |\
E2 FA | Be ed | Bd/B/ AF | EF D2 |
E>F GA | Be ed | Bd/B/ AF |[1 FE E :|[2 FE E2 ||
|: Be ef | af ed | Be ef | af d2 |
Be ef | af ed | Bd/B/ AF |[1 FE EA:|[2 FE E |]

X: 1
T: Dalaigh’s
T: Séamus Cussen’s
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Edor
|: D |\
E>F GA | Be dB | A>B AF | EF D2 |
E>F GA | Be dB | AF dF | FE E- :|
|: E |\
Be ed/e/ | fe dA |Be ed/e/ | fe d2 |
Be ed/e/ | f/g/f/e/ dA | BA dF | FE E- :|

GM’s transcription in A Dorian ~ for further comparison

X: 1
T: Dalaigh’s
T: Séamus Cussen’s
T: Downey’s
Z: gian marco
N: transcribed from E Dorian to A Dorian
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: ADor
|: G |\
A2 Bd | ea ag | eg/e/ dB | AB G2 |
A>B cd | ea ag | eg/e/ dB |[1 BA A :|[2 BA A2 ||
|: ea ab | d’b ag | ea ab | d’b g2 |
ea ab | d’b ag | eg/e/ dB |[1 BA Ad :|[2 BA A |]

Taking that B-part down an octave ~

|: EA AB | dB AG | EA AB | dB G2 |
EA AB | dB AG | EG/E/ DB, |[1 B,A, AD :|[2 B,A, A |]

X: 9 “The Breeches Buttoned On”

S: Jackie Daly & CD: "Matt Cranitch & Jackie Daly: The Living Stream", track 2, 1st polka of two
https://thesession.org/recordings/3728

Notes, from CD: "Jackie traces the first of these polkas to the fiddle player Davy Linehan of Mountcollins, Co. Limerick, a friend of the now legendary fiddle player and teacher Padraig O’Keeffe. Jackie learned it from Davy’s granddaughter Helen Broderick of Abbeyfeale." - Jackie Small

Q: 138 bpm / 1 beat = one crotchet/quarter note

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