The Aughacashel reel

There’s a lengthy and enormously inconclusive discussion about this tune at https://thesession.org/discussions/1412, despite the best efforts of Kenny and Will Harmon to help sort things out. The tune can be found in two places that I know of: the very last tune on the first Danu album (where it is not given a name), and on an Eoin O’Neill album called “In Session” where it is billed (mistakenly, apparently, as Kenny reasonably suggests) as “Martin Wynne’s #3”. Sadly, JC’s Tune Finder doesn’t match Kenny’s title suggestions, which he helpfully collected from a couple of other recordings.

Anyway, it’s a hummer of a little tune, and it would be a shame not to spread it around just because nobody knows its name!

—Michael B.

I’ve just read that discussion and none of it makes any sense at all. I need to go out and buy some CDs I think.
Michael, has anyone pointed out that at least the 1st part of this is identical to the quite-common reel “Bill Harte’s” (posted here by Zina)? Sorry if that’s been mentioned somewhere already…

I just posted the Eoin O’Neill album, if it’ll help… you can get it at Custy’s online.

I think your Gan Ainm is titled The Flower of the Flock.

Same first bar but different to the “Flower Of The Flock” I play. Mine goes DEGA BG~G2|caBG AGEG|DEGA BABc|dBAc BAGE…and then again and then g2 (3gfe dBGB|cABG AGEf|g2 (3gfe dBGB|Aaaf gfef…blah blah blah and then my version ends DEGA BABc|dBAC BAG…

Oh why didn’t I just cut and paste a link to Will’s transcription? Duh?!

What I meant to say was https://thesession.org/tunes/585

I have an email query ot two out to the lads in Danu, so maybe they can help us with a name.

If it *is* Flower of the Flock, it certainly has Danu’s spin on it–not the “standard” session setting (whatever that is). What troubles me most is the B part, which sounds much more like some other tune–but I’m unable to sort out which one.

Michael’s quite right - whatever the tune’s title is , it’s a fine reel, and well worth the posting.

I was listening to the CD by Dublin whistle player Gavin Whelan the other night, and recognised this tune - the same as

This is how Josephine sets out Aughacashel in her recent book:

It’s in the key of G and I haven’t bothered with the ABC headers:

GE|:DEGA BG (3GGG|AGBG AGEG|DEGA Bdef|gedB cBAG|
DEGA BG (3GGG|AGBG AGDC|A,DGB (3ddB EB|dBAB GFGE:||
|:gB (3BcB GABd|EBdB GABG|(3ABA GB AE (3EEE|(3cdc Bc Adef|
gfga bgag|ge (3dBA BGED|EGAB (3ddB eB|1 dBAB GF G2:||2 dBAB G2||

Does this help?

Thanks for taking the time to check this out , Aidan. I appreciate the effort. But the big question is this - is the “Aughacashel” the unknown third reel in “Danu’s” set or not ? What do you reckon ?

There are passages which come close to Josephine’s tune … but by the second part the two tunes diverge. I reckon the Dan

Seems to be the closest one so far.

Danu also plays an alternative version of The Battering Ram on All Things Considered, so, all things considered… we must be close.

—Michael B.

I learned another version of this nameless tune. My tutor doesn’t remember where it comes from though.

K: Gmaj
DEGA BG~G2|AGBG AGEG|DEGA Bded|gedB ABGE|
DEGA BG~G2|AGBG AGEG|Bded Bdge|1 dBAB G3E:|2 dBAB G2Bd||
gedB G2Bd|eBdB ~G3B|~A3B A~E3|cABG A2Bd|
~g3a bgag|egdB ABGE|DEGA Bdge|1 dBAB G2Bd:|2 dBAB G3E||

Somewhat similar to what Aidan transcribed.

I played this great, nameless reel in Corofin a couple of weeks ago! I was really excited when I heard the local musicians start playing it. Considering it’s on Eoin O’Neill’s album, it may be a relatively well-known tune in Clare. Not so often, but it’s sometimes played here in Yorkshire too.

It’s taken about 2 years, but this is definitely, “The Aughacashel” composed by Josephine Keegan. It appears , twice, on the double CD “Lifeswork” - The Compositions Of Josephine Keegan“, [ she composed all the tunes except for 2 by O’Carolan ], and also on the “lamh ar lamh” /“Many Hands” double CD. It’s played by “The Naomh Padraig Ceili Band”, and the notes say “The Aughacashel” was composed by Josephine Keegan after a good night’s music in that Co. Leitrim spot“.

Kenny, you’re right. I find Tain Ceili Band playing this tune: http://www.rte.ie/radio1/ceilihouse/rams/6november.ram The set starts around 29:00. Now I see why it’s popularised in Leeds: they always pick up new tunes from other ceili bands.

X: 1
T: Sean Ryan’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
DEGA BGGG|AGBG AGEG|D2 GA B/c/d ed|gedB AEGE|
Here’s the banjo seting from Maiden Voyage, track 13, a duet with flute.

X: 1
T: Sean Ryan’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: G
DEGA BG G/G/G|AGBG AGEA|B/c/d ed Bdeg|dBAB GGGE|
DEGA BG G/G/G|AGBG AGEG|D2 GA B/c/d ed|gedB AEGE
DEGA BGG,G|AGBG AGEA|B/c/d ed Bdge|dBAB GABd||
gB B/B/B GABd|egdB GGGA|A-BGB AEEE|cABG AAde|
ggga bgaf|gedB ABGE|DEGA B/c/d ge|dBAB GGBd|
gB B/B/B GABd|egdB GGGA|A-BGB AEEE|c/B/A BG AAde|
g/g/g ga bgaf|gedB ABGE|DEGA B/c/d ge|dBAB GGGE||

This reel can also be heard on tenor banjo player Kevin Griffin’s CD “Traditional Irish Music from Doolin Co. Clare”. It’s the second of two reels on track #10 titled “Terry Bingham’s Reels”. Kevin apparently learned the tune from Terry.

Interestingly, Eoin O’Neill (who play’s this tune on his “In Session” CD as mentioned above) accompanies this tune on Griffin’s CD. O’Neill also play’s this tune with Gavin Whelan (who play’s this tune on his self-titled CD)

Mr. O’Neill apparently like this tune as much as I do.

Great tune, for sure one of my favorites.

This tune also appears on North Cregg’s “… And They Danced All Night” as Sean Ryan’s. There is one slight difference to the version in the dots there; the ending is the one that Will posted above. ’Tis a fantastic tune 🙂

So, why is it so popular in Clare, composed by a Armagh fiddler?

The second reel on Kevin Griffins CD (as mentioned above) is NOT the “Aughacashel”. It’s the same “Paddy Fahey’s” as listed on Gavin Whelans CD track number 3. Kenny (above) is quite right in noting that the titles were switched on Gavins CD. Props to Kenny for pointing that out.

Watch and listen to 5 young girls play this reel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYDkL3nmdLw

play video

I remember playing this with a young fiddler in Edinburgh last year. She is from E. Clare and instantly recognised the tune when I started playing it.

It is also called Sean Ryan’s on They Sailed Away from Dublin Bay by Joe Whelan and Liam Farrell. I’d be interested to know how his name got attached to it and which Ryan it was (whistler or fiddle). It is a suitable tune for both whistle and fiddle so it would be difficult to go on the tune itself in that aspect of things.

On that same album, they play it before Martin Wynne’s No. 3:

dged B3

I wonder if there is an old source to this pairing. People are saying Eoin O’Neill played the Aughacashel but called it Martin Wynne’s No. 3. Maybe Liam Farrell and Joe Whelan where his source for the tune and he got the titles mixed up.

Still though, it is one of my favourite tunes. We played it in a session on Friday when the members from the Comhaltas congress came down for the weekend. Among them were Vincent Jordon, Carmel Commins and Mícheal O’hAmhlain. Great crack!

I was in Ennis a few weeks ago and tried playing this tune in a session. Two of three young lads instantly recognised it and joined me. I have always associated this tune with Clare, but the tune seems to have gained popularity in other places too. I actually played it with two young fiddlers while staying in Edinburgh last year. While one of them was from E. Clare, the other was a local musician. It’s also on a Matt Cunningham tape which “ceolachan” gave me last week though it’s not named. And you can watch an American flautist play it here: http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/programme_181_segment_8_eoghan_conway

I’ve heard this a lot in sessions over the last year or two. I find that pretty much all the musicians passing through Sydney from Ireland know it, regardless of which part of Ireland they’re from, and a lot of the musicians here in Australia play it too. I think it must be well-known everywhere as a session standard these days.

Not very sure, but I suspect this tune was initailly popularised in Clare and brought to the other parts of the world.

As for Paddy’s enquiry, this tune was first recorded as Sean Ryan’s by Kevin Crawford and Padraic Mac Donnchadha on “Maiden Voyage” CD (1991). They in fact play Martin Wynn’s No.3 after it. So Joe Whelan and Liam Farrell maybe learned the set from “Maiden Voyage,” or vice versa before it appeared on commercial recordings. Eoin O’Neill most likely got this tune from Crawford and Padraic because the CD was recorded in Feakle, Clare.

Thanks for the info slainte.

It was actually Will who first noticed this is Sean Ryan’s on “Maiden Voyage.”

I think it was me, actually - not that it matters at all.

Sorry, Kenny.

You still brought it to my attention slainte so you deserve some credit. You’re only being modest! Thanks Kenny as well.

This tune was played on the radio ( RTE ) by Kevin Crawford several years ago, & and he paired it with the big Martin Wynne reel in G. Davey Muir ex Glasgow, had a name for this: “West Clare Reel”

’swhy it was recognised in Clare, and the link to Kevin Crawford above.

A stonker of a tune .
carry on.

Pat

Submitted on August 17th 2010 by Pierre Commes.
~ /tunes/10651

X: 5
T: Aughacashel, The
C: Josephine Keegan
N: Submitted as “Sean Ryan’s”
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|: DEGA BG ~G2 | AGBG AGEG | DEGA (3B^cd ed | gedB A2 GE |
DEGA BG ~G2 | AGBG AGEG | (3B^cd ed Bdge | dBAB G3 z :|
|: gB ~B2 GABd | eBdB ~G3 B | A2 GB AE ~E2 | (3cBA (3BAG A2 (3B^cd |
~g3 a bgaf | gedB AEGE | DEGA (3B^cd ge | dBAB ~G3 z :|

From the playing of Lunasa.
First part very similar to Bill Harte’s reel but the second part is very different.

# Posted on August 17th 2010 by Pierre Commes

I once visited The Bloomsday Bar in Copenhagen, Denmark, where this was played.

The original version

Played here by Four Men and a Dog but mislabelled as Mick O’Connor’s. There is some similarity between the two tunes, I suppose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xufDj886Hn4

play video

Another take as played by Anders Lillebo (last tune, starts @2:28):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eOPbIwMrQA

play video

There are not too many differences too the existing settings, but a couple of nice twists IMO.

Played by the composer - posted on “Youtube” :
https://youtu.be/eqkvawn1hg8

play video

Just posted - played by Marcus Hernon [ first reel ] :
https://youtu.be/cwMX9CBXmr8

play video