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The Cuil Aodha polka

Also known as The Coolea, Denis Doody’s, Dennis Doody’s, Hannah’s, Johnnie Mickey’s, Johnny Mickey Barry’s, Johnny Mickey’s, Polca An Dreollín, Salmon Tailing Up River, The Salmon Tailing Up River, Salmon Tailing Up The River, The Salmon Tailing Up The River, Toormore Lasses, Tourniore Lass, The Wedding, Wren, The Wren, Wren’s, The Wren’s.

There are 24 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The Cuil Aodha appears in 1 other tune collection.

The Cuil Aodha has been added to 26 tune sets.

The Cuil Aodha has been added to 195 tunebooks.

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Five settings

1
X: 1
T: The Cuil Aodha
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
Ac EF|A>A Af|ec BA|e/f/e/c/ Bc/B/|
Ac EF|A>A Af|ec BA/B/|1 cA AE:|2 cA AB||
|:ce ce|a2 af|ec BA|e/f/e/c/ BA|ce ce|
a2 af|ec BA/B/|1 cA AB:|2 cA AE||
2
X: 2
T: The Cuil Aodha
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:B/A/|GB DE|G>F Ge|dB AG|dB AB/A/|
GB DE|G>F Ge|dB AG/A/|BG G:|
|:G/A/|B/c/d Bd|g2 ge|dB AG|d/e/d/B/ A2|
B/c/d B/c/d|g>f ge|dB AG/A/|BG G:|
3
X: 3
T: The Cuil Aodha
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
Ac EF|A>A Af|ec BA|e/f/e/c/ Bc/B/|
Ac EF|A>A Af|ec BA/B/|1 cA AE:|2 cA A||
B|ce ce|a2 af|ec BA|e/f/e/c/ BA|
[1 ce ce|a2 af|ec BA/B/|cA A:|
[2 Ac EF|A>A Af|ec BA/B/|cA A||
4
X: 4
T: The Cuil Aodha
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
|Ac EF|A>G Af|ec BA|e/f/e/c/ Bc/B/|
Ac EF|A>G Af|ec BA/B/|cA A2:|
|:ce ce|a>g af|ec BA|e/f/e/c/ BA/B/|
ce ce|a>g af|ec BA/B/|cA A2:|
# Added by Larke .
5
X: 5
T: The Cuil Aodha
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
D>E|:GB DE|G/>A/G/F/ Ge|dB AG/A/|BA AB/A/|
GB DE|G/>A/G/F/ Ge|dB AB/A/|1 G2 D2:|2 G2 GA||
|:Bd de|g>f ge|dB B/A/G/A/|BA AG|
Bd de|g>f ge|dB AB/A/|1 G2 GA:|2 G2 D2||

Nine comments

From St. Steven’s Day

Is this a Kerry originated tune re the St. Steven’s day rituals, procedures? Neat sounding tune …

The Wran Boys

Ah, so this would be a tune that the “wran” (wren) boys would play as they go from house to house?

Looks like we’ve got five more days to learn this tune, catch a bird and paint our faces. 🙂

Variation?

anyone with a better ear than I got a transcription for Mark Roberts’s variation in the 3rd & 4th bars of the B-part (on repeat) at the end of Touchstone’s version?

Also, Touchstone substitutes the last 4 bars of the B-part repeat with the last 4 bars of the A-part. I’m sure either way is perfectly in order, just letting you know… 🙂

“Johnny Mickey’s” ~ another key

K: G Major
|: B/A/ |
GB DE | G>F Ge | dB AG | dB AB/A/ |
GB DE | G>F Ge | dB AG/A/ | BG G :|
|: G/A/ |
B/c/d Bd | g2 ge | dB AG | d/e/d/B/ A2 |
B/c/d B/c/d | g>f ge |dB AG/A/ | BG G :|

Variant setting

I play a slightly different version – more like the version on the Touchstone “New Land” recording

X:3
T:Wren’s Polka, The
T:Cuil Aodha Polka, The
R:polka
M:2/4
L:1/8
K:A
Ac EF|A>A Af|ec BA|e/f/e/c/ Bc/B/|
Ac EF|A>A Af|ec BA/B/|1 cA AE:|2 cA A|]
B|ce ce|a2 af|ec BA|e/f/e/c/ BA|
[1 ce ce|a2 af|ec BA/B/|cA A:|
[2 Ac EF|A>A Af|ec BA/B/|cA A|]

Toormore Lasses

A popular polka, at least in County Cork sessions. I was surprised not to find it already listed, unless it is under a different name in a key other than Amaj…?

Posted by .

Tourniore Lass, X:5

I first heard this catchy tune played by Jack Daly. This setting is based on Denis Doody’s playing on his LP where he called it Tourniore Lass.
I see some similarities, in the first part at least, with Cruacharan Cross https://thesession.org/tunes/3533 , which is also associated with St Stephen’s Day, and also has the alternative title of The Wren.