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The Holly Bush reel

Also known as Finbarr Dwyer’s, Finbarr Dwyer’s 2, Finbarr Dwyer’s Reel No 1, Hollybush, The Hollybush, Matt The Thrasher, O’Dwyer’s, Vinnie O’Brien’s.

There are 58 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with The Ivy Leaf (a few times), The Wise Maid (a few times), The Cameronian (a few times), Captain Kelly (a few times) and The Exile Of Erin (a few times).

The Holly Bush has been added to 23 tune sets.

The Holly Bush has been added to 400 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Six settings

X: 1
T: The Holly Bush
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
A2FA DAFG|ABde fded|cGG2 EGG2|cedc AGFG|
A2FA DAFG|ABde fded|cGG2 cedc|AcGE D2FG:|
|:Add^c defg|adde dcAc|GccB cdeg|aged cAGc|
Add^c defg |adde dcAB|cGG2 cedc|AcGE D2FG:|
X: 2
T: The Holly Bush
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
A2FA DAFA|ABde fded|cG~G2 EG~G2|cedc AGFG|
A2FA DAFA|ABde fded|cGG2 cedc|AFGE DEFG:|
|:Add^c defg|adde dcAF|GccB cde/f/g|afge dcAG|
Add^c defg |adde dcAB|cedB cAGc|AFGE DEFG:|
X: 3
T: The Holly Bush
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cGdG|cGed cAGE|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cedB|cAGE D2 dB|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 EGcG|C2 ed cAGE|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cedB|cAGE D2 dc|
|Add^c defg|aged cAGE|~G2 EG cgeg|aged cAGc|
|Add^c defg|adfa dcAB|~c2 Bd cAGc|AEGE D2 dc|
|Add^c defg|aged cAGE|~G2 EG cgeg|aged cAGc|
|Add^c defg|add^c dcAB|~c2 Bd cAGc|AEGE D2 dc|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cGdG|cGed cAGE|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cedB|cAGE D2 dB|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 EGcG|C2 ed cAGE|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cedB|cAGE D2 dc|
|Add^c defg|aged cAGE|~G2 EG cgeg|aged cAGc|
|Add^c defg|add^c dcAB|~c2 Bd cAGc|AEGE D2 dc|
|Add^c defg|aged cAGE|~G2 EG cgeg|aged cAGc|
|Add^c defg|add^c dcAB|~c2 Bd cAGc|AEGE D2 dc|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 EGcG|C2 ed cAGE|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cedB|cAGE D2 dB|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Ad ~d2 adBd|cG ~G2 EGcG|C2 ed cAGE|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cedB|cAGE D2 dc|
|Add^c defg|aged cAGE|~G2 EG cgeg|aged cAGc|
|Add^c defg|add^c dcAB|~c2 Bd cAGc|AEGE D2 dc|
|Add^c defg|aged cAGE|~G2 EG cgeg|aged cAGc|
|Add^c defg|add^c dcAB|~c2 Bd cAGc|AcGE D2 ag|
X: 4
T: The Holly Bush
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
|:A2 FA DFAG|FAde fded|cG G2 EG G2|(3Bcd ed cAGc |
ADFA DFAG|FAde fded|cG G2 (3Bcd ed|cAGE D4:||
|:Add^c defg|adde dcAB|cG G2 (3Bcd eg|aged cAGc|
Add^c defg |adde dcAB|cG G2 (3Bcd ed|cAGE D4:||
# Added by JACKB .
X: 5
T: The Holly Bush
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
A2FA DAFG|ABde fded|cGG2 EGG2|cedB cAGE|
A2FA DAFG|ABde fded|cGG2 cedB|cAGE D2dB:|
|:Add^c defg|age^c d=cAB|cGG2 cdeg|aged cAGc|
Add^c defg |age^c d=cAB|cGG2 cedB|cAGE D2dB:|
X: 6
T: The Holly Bush
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
A2FA DAFA|ABde fded|cGG2 EGG2|cedc AGFG|
A2FA DAFA|ABde fded|cGG2 cedc|AcGE D2FG:|
|:Add^c defg|adde dcAB|c2cB cdeg|aged cAGc|
Add^c defg |adde dcAB|cGG2 cedc|AcGE D2FG:|

Twenty comments

The Holly Bush

This I understand is the first reel composed by that wonderful composer from Cork, Finbarr Dwyer. Finbarr plays the button accordian and is surely one of the all time greats. His compositions rate alongside those of Paddy Fahy, Ed Reavy, Paddy O’Brien and Sean Ryan.
Fiddlecase.

The Holly Bush

Martin Hayes plays this tune down a fourth, in A mixolydian, starting on an E note on the D string, and it sounds quite dramatic.

The Holly Bush

Try playing it in E. Loads more lively!

There’s a great version of this tune by Sean Potts on Drones & Chanters vol. 2.

The Holly Bush

Here’s what I just gleaned from the recording by Dale Russ and Todd Denman.

X: 1
T: Holly Bush, The
C: Finbarr Dwyer
S: Dale Russ and Todd Denman
Z: Jack Gilder
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmix
A2FA DAFA|ABde fded|cG~G2 EG~G2|cedc AGFG|
A2FA DAFA|ABde fded|cGG2 cedc|AFGE DEFG:|
|:Add^c defg|adde dcAF|GccB cde/f/g|afge dcAG|
Add^c defg |adde dcAB|cedB cAGc|AFGE DEFG:|

A fantastic reel which sits nicely alongside other greats like Devanney’s Goat, Dick Sherlock’s, Fred Finn’s, Lady Anne, the Cameronian, etc (ie tunes with great melodies).

this is for me the coolest I’ve learned. I love this tune.

Finbarr Dwyer’s Original

Me and my brother spent the last two or three days learning the version Finbarr himself plays on an LP he released in the late 60/early 70s. It contrasts considerabely with todays more widely played version and is a version I may make an effort to resurrect. Finbarr plays it three times through so I’ve included all 3 repitions. His ornamentation is not included because 1) I don’t think we can adequately show ornamentation on sheet music and 2) I’m not a box player so I don’t really know what he is doing for certain. Anyway, check the post underneath.

The tune

X:1
T:The Original Holly Bush
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Dmix

|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cGdG|cGed cAGE|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cedB|cAGE D2 dB|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 EGcG|C2 ed cAGE|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cedB|cAGE D2 dc|
|Add^c defg|aged cAGE|~G2 EG cgeg|aged cAGc|
|Add^c defg|adfa dcAB|~c2 Bd cAGc|AEGE D2 dc|
|Add^c defg|aged cAGE|~G2 EG cgeg|aged cAGc|
|Add^c defg|add^c dcAB|~c2 Bd cAGc|AEGE D2 dc|

|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cGdG|cGed cAGE|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cedB|cAGE D2 dB|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 EGcG|C2 ed cAGE|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cedB|cAGE D2 dc|
|Add^c defg|aged cAGE|~G2 EG cgeg|aged cAGc|
|Add^c defg|add^c dcAB|~c2 Bd cAGc|AEGE D2 dc|
|Add^c defg|aged cAGE|~G2 EG cgeg|aged cAGc|
|Add^c defg|add^c dcAB|~c2 Bd cAGc|AEGE D2 dc|

|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 EGcG|C2 ed cAGE|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cedB|cAGE D2 dB|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Ad ~d2 adBd|cG ~G2 EGcG|C2 ed cAGE|
|(3ABA FA DAFG|Adde fded|cG ~G2 cedB|cAGE D2 dc|
|Add^c defg|aged cAGE|~G2 EG cgeg|aged cAGc|
|Add^c defg|add^c dcAB|~c2 Bd cAGc|AEGE D2 dc|
|Add^c defg|aged cAGE|~G2 EG cgeg|aged cAGc|
|Add^c defg|add^c dcAB|~c2 Bd cAGc|AcGE D2 ag|

*The high a at the end of the tune is what he would play as he starts the next tune, Mary McMahon

If anybody wants to hear the originial version of "The Hollybush" as played solo by Finbarr Dwyer himself, send me an email. Thanks to either 52paddy or kenny, I have an MP3 of it, including him also Mary McMahon.

Contact Finbarr Dwyer

I have made a guitar adaptation of this tune and wand to contact Finbarr Dwyer (and the editor for this tune if any…) to ask the conditions for a publication. Can anybody help ?

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The Prehistoric Piper

Unfortunately, no credit is given to Finbarr Dwyer for composing the tune, but here’s an interesting and humorous take on The Holly Bush. Be patient, the tune will come around sooner or later:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UyP-9Vig1c

Holly Bush

I don’t remember what version I learnt, but this is how I play the Holly Bush on the pipes.

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