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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, Tourniore Lass, The Wedding, Wren, Wren’s, The Wren’s, The Wren.

There are 17 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with The Ballyvourney (a few times).

The Cuil Aodha has been added to 8 tune sets.

The Cuil Aodha has been added to 165 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Three settings

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||
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 :|
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|]

Five 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|]