The Meelick Team jig

Bit of an odd one this one. I usually back it with a mixture of Emin/Gmaj and Edor progressions, e.g.

|:D7sus4 | G | C | A | D7sus4 | G | C | Am :|
|:Em | C | A | D7sus4 | G | D | Bm | Am :|

Johnny B. Connoly recorded this one with Kevin Burke. I often wonder who is Eddie. Is it his composition?

I’ve just been looking at a webpage that says:

"Eddy was born in Meelick, Eyrecourt, near Ballinisloe, Co. Galway, in 1933. Lived in that area till 1958, moved to Castlerea, Co. Roscommon. Has 20 compositions. Plays both button and fiddle. His compositions often exhibit a strong East Galway influence. Respected traditional musician, tunes circulated through sessions, radio performances, and concerts."

Meelick Team Jig commemorates a hurling team from his native parish which qualified for and played in the first All-Ireland Hurling Finals held in 1884."

Other titles include:

-Eddie Kelly’s Jig (P.J.Hernon), and also on a Liz Carroll recording (A Friend Indeed)

Martin Talty’s Jig (Clare Concertinas Bernard O’Sullivan and Tommy McMahon)

On Mary MacNamara’s recent CD it was played in D minor, using a C/F Anglo concertina. In Bulmer and Sharpley (1975) it was given the title McGreevy’s

I heard this tune mostly in E dorian, played by Shantalla for instance, it goes like this :

X: 1
T: McGreavy’s
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Edor
B2e dBA | BAG EDB, | DEG Eed | BAG ABd | e/f/ge dBA | BAG EDB, |DEG Eed | BAG E3 :|
e2f gfe | beg fed | Beg =ceg | f2f/f/ e3| g2f edB | AFD FGA | d2d/d/ fed | BAF E3:|

Here’s another way with it but not dipping below D ~

K: E Dorian
|: A |
B2 e dBA | BAF EDE | DEG Eed | BAG AB/c/d |
e2 g dBA | BAF EDB | DE/F/G Eed | BAF E2 :|
|: -E |
e2 f gfe | beg fed | Beg be/f/g | fed e2 f |
g2 f edB | BAF DFA | d2 d fed | BAF E2 :|

Here’s another originally transcribed by Henrik Norbeck on tunedb –

T: Eddie Kelly’s
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Edor
~e3 dBA | BAG EDB | DEG e2d | BAG ABd |
~e3 dBA | BAG EDB | DEG e2d | BAF E3 :|
|: e2f gfe | beg fed | Beg beg | ~f3 e2f |
~g3 edB | AFD FGA | d2e fed | BAF E3 :|
"Variations"
|: efe dBA | BAG EDB, | B,DG Eed | BAG ABd |
ege dBA | BAG EDB, | B,DG Eed | BAF E3 :|
|: ~e3 gfe | beg fed | Beg beg | fed e2f |
g2f edB | AFD FGA | d2e fed | BAF E3 :|

X: 1
T: Eddie Kelly’s No1
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Emin
e3 dBA | BAG ED,B | EGF Eed | BAG ABd |
e3 dBA | BAG ED,B | EGF Eed | BAF E2B :||
e2f gfe | beg fed | Be2 beg | fed e2f |
g2f edB |AFD EGB | e2f ged | BAF E2d :||

Submitted on September 27th 2007 by mrs.b.

X:1
T:Eddie Kelly’s
S:Muintir Lewis-"Weeds In The Garden"
M:6/8
L:1/8
R:Jig
K:Em
(e/f/g)e dBA | BAF EDB, | EFG Eed | BAF GAB |
(e/f/g)e dBA | BAF EDB, | EFG Eed | BAF E3 :||:
e2 f ged | beg fed | Beg beg | fed e2 f |
~g3 edB | AGF EDB, | EFG Eed | BAF E3 :|

http://www.cranfordpub.com/
http://www.cranfordpub.com/tunes/Irish/MellickTeam.htm

Dow’s quote of information above ~ "Eddy was born in Meelick, Eyrecourt, near Ballinisloe, Co. Galway, in 1933. ~ commemorates a hurling team from his native parish which qualified for and played in the first All-Ireland Hurling Finals held in 1884."

X: 7
T: Meelick Team, The
C: Eddie Kelly
N: also played in D minor
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Emin
|: B2 e dBA | BAF EDB, | DEG Eed | BAG ABd |
e/f/ge dBA | BAF EDB, | DEG Eed | BAF E3 :|
|: e2 f gfe | beg fed | Beg beg | fed e2 f |
g2 f edB | BAF DFA | d2 e fed | BAF E3 :|

"The setting above indirectly comes from a handwritten manuscript published in a late ’70s thesis by Allan Jardine…."

X: 3
T: Meelick Team, The
C: Eddie Kelly
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: EDor
|: A |\
B2 e dBA | BAF EDE | DEG Eed | BAG AB/c/d |
e2 g dBA | BAF EDB | DE/F/G Eed | BAF E2 :|
|: -E |\
e2 f gfe | beg fed | Beg be/f/g | fed e2 f |
g2 f edB | BAF DFA | d2 d fed | BAF E2 :|

This tune was played by Jeff Forbes at the session at the Idaho Brewing Company (IBC) in Idaho Falls.

Here it is again with guitar chords:
X: 15
T: Martin Talty’s
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
"Em"dBA BAG|EDB, "D"DEG|"Em"Eed BAG|"D"ABd ege|
"Em"fBA BAG|EDB, "D"DEG|"Em"Eef BAG|[1E2 A B2 e:|[2e3 z2 d |
|:"Em"e2 f gfe | beg "D"fed|"Em"Beg beg|"D"fed "C"e2 f|
"G"g2 f edB|"D"AFD DFA|dcd fed|[1AFE D2 d:|[2AFE D3|]

Submitted on March 13th 2003 by Dr. Dow.
https://thesession.org/tunes/1511

X: 1
T: Martin Talty’s
S: Tommy McMahon - concertina
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: EDor
|: A |\
Be/f/e dBA | BAG EDB, | DEG Eed | BAG ABd |
e/f/ge dBA | BAG EDB, | DEG Eef |[1 BAG E2 :|[2 BAG E3 ||
|: e/f/e f ged | beg fed | Beg beg | fed e/f/ef |
g2 f edB | AFD DFA | dcd fed |[1 BAF E3 :|[2 BAF E2 |]

alias "The Meelick Team Jig" ~ by Eddie Kelly

X: 8
T: The Meelick Team Jig
T: Eddie Kelly’s
T: Martin Talty’s
C: Eddie Kelly
S: Tommy McMahon - concertina
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: EDor
|: A |\
Be/f/e dBA | BAG EDB, | DEG Eed | BAG ABd |
e/f/ge dBA | BAG EDB, | DEG Eef |[1 BAG E2 :|[2 BAG E3 ||
|: e/f/e f ged | beg fed | Beg beg | fed e/f/ef |
g2 f edB | AFD DFA | dcd fed |[1 BAF E3 :|[2 BAF E2 |]

Submitted on September 3rd 2012 by Mac McGrath.
~ /tunes/12158
https://thesession.org/members/71179

This’ll be a ‘before & after’ ~ first the ‘before’:

X: 1
T: Martin Talty’s
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
dBA BAG|EDB, DEG|Eed BAG|ABd ege|
fBA BAG|EDB. DEG| Eef BAG|[1E2 A B2 e:|[2e3 z2 d |
|:e2 f gfe | beg fed| Beg beg | fed e2 f|
g2 f edB|AFD DFA|dcd fed|[1AFE D2 d:|[2AFE D3|]

This tune was played by Jeff Forbes at the session at the Idaho Brewing Company (IBC) in Idaho Falls. - Mac McGrath

& now the ‘after’ ~ with bar adjustments and some corrections:

X: 9
T: Martin Talty’s
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: EDor
|: A |\
B2 e dBA | BAG EDB, | DEG Eed | BAG ABd |
ege fBA | BAG EDB, | DEG Eef |[1 BAG E2 :|[2 BAG e2 ||
|: d |\
e2 f gfe | beg fed | Beg beg | fed e2 f |
g2 f edB | AFD DFA | dcd fed | BAF E2 :|

They also contributed a version with suggested chords, which will follow…

Here it is again with guitar chords - Mac McGrath:

X: 9
T: Martin Talty’s
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: EDor
|: A |\
"Em" B2 e dBA | BAG EDB, | "D" DEG "Em" Eed | BAG "D" ABd |
"Em" ege fBA | BAG EDB, | "D" DEG "Em" Eef |[1 BAG E2 :|[2 BAG e2 ||
|: d |\
"Em" e2 f gfe | beg "D" fed | "Em" Beg beg | "D" fed "C" e2 f |
"G" g2 f edB | "D" AFD DFA | dcd fed | BAF E2 :|

# Posted on September 3rd 2012 by Mac McGrath
https://thesession.org/members/71179

Tommy McMahon’s take on this, on concertina, I’ve left out his octave drops, where he plays the occasional note down an octave from the usual, meaning what most instruments would tend to do. However, I quite like those hiccups and am a long time fan of his playing, and Bernard O’Sullivan’s too. 😉

This tune is in Bulmer & Sharpley’s "Music from Ireland" volume IV, number 57 as "McGreavy’s."

I recorded it on my 1998 CD "’Til Time Is No More" in a set with "Caterpillar" and "Willie Coleman’s."

I’m sorry if i didn’t write it in right but i did the best i could. If someone could tell me the name of it please, it would be much appreciated! 🙂 thanks

Reverends ABC Tune Search
http://abctunesearch.com/

means it is:

https://thesession.org/tunes/12158

Thanks very much! your a god send 🙂

# Added by kieranmo 1February 4th, 2014
~ /tunes/13356

Original transcription ~ something akin to old school ABCs, but not quite - - - still, interesting|? 😀 And definitely worthy of a clean up and being added here as another take on this, a decent one too…

K: Gmaj
a
|:b2e d’ba bag edb,
deg ee’d’ bag abd’
e2’e’ d’ba bag edb,
deg ee’d bag e2||
|:be’f’ g’f’e’ be’g’ f’e’d’
be’g’ b’e’g’ f’e’d’ e2’ f”
g’f’g’ e’d’b afd efa
d2’d’ f’e’d’ baf e2||

Awful transcription

Cross posting it seems, but with some differences in interpreting the original. 😀

Dee Dee, did you mean MacMcGrath’s, the first submission? 😀

S: Tommy McMahon, concertina
S: also - "Bernard O’Sullivan & Tommy McMahon: Clare Concertinas" - track 14, the first jig of 3
https://thesession.org/recordings/188

On the CD Tommy extends, lengthens the first bar ~
M: 9/8 |: B3 e/f/e/d BAB |
~ and shortens the 4th bar ~
M: 5/8 | AGA Bd |

[B,DEB] = options for D-limited instruments, one example being ~ D2 D & a nice opportunity to cran…

Here’s those possibilities written out completely:
| AGE DB,D | & | BAG EDB, |
| AGE D2 D | & | BAG EDD |
| AGE DED | & | BAG EDE |
| AGE DBD | & | BAG EDB] |

Submitted on March 13th 2003 by Dr. Dow.
https://thesession.org/tunes/1511

Yeah, the original lopsided one. It’s… weird!

😀 What a kick, and Jeremy’s up and active this morning as well…

Cough, cough, cough, ahchoooooooooooooo!!! 😏

Those few X notes just above this, moved over from two duplicated entries:

# Posted by Mac McGrath - September 3rd 2012
~ /tunes/12158
~ & ~
# Added by kieranmo 1February 4th, 2014
~ /tunes/13356

Notes for X: 2 = X: 3 are for X: 14

Notes for X: 4 & "D2 D" are for X: 10

B: "Music from Ireland, Volume Four", 1974, Dave Bulmer & Neil Sharpley, page 20, tune #57

Their transcription is given as one sharp, or E minor. I’ve given it as Dorian only because of the probable c# touched on in the penultimate bar ~ | dc/d/e fed |

transcribed from the Lewis Family album ca. 1978, where it’s paired with one of the Fahey jigs. Not the same as the Eddie Kelly’s already here as far as I can tell.

The Meelick Team: https://thesession.org/tunes/1511

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H3t-t_DmZU

play video

"Call the Set III"
https://thesession.org/recordings/5713

Try it in D, much better to my mind.

Regards
David

Dale Russ and Marla Fibish playing this one with The Lark On The Strand:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2E5uN0u1Hw

play video

The Lark On The Strand is here if you fancy making a set: https://thesession.org/tunes/1634

Learned as Eddie Kelly’s jig from Liz Carroll’s playing on ‘A Friend Indeed’ with Marty Fahey

https://youtu.be/c-pAlMESyoA

play video

Eilis Crean, who has been a pupil of Eddie, says here* that he originally composed this jig in Dmin, but finally transposed it to Emin for the ease of the flute players.
* (at ~9’00) https://soundcloud.com/user-540113913/larkin-about-tribute-to-eddie-kelly