The Ballinalacken reel

I’m posting this in response to a discussion about Micho Russell which arose on the "Chiff & Fipple" website recently. This version of the reel - which has strong similarities to "The Curragh Races", albeit in a different key - was published in an issue of "Treoir" magazine in 1975, under the title "The Ballinalacken Reel" - "one of Miko [ sic ] Russell’s favourite whistle tunes". It is track #18 on the 2nd CD of the "Micho Russell - Rarities & Old Favourites 1949 - 1993" double CD compilation, under the title "Ril Bheag Bhaille na nUan". The recording on the CD was made in 1974, so there is only 1 year between the 2 versions, printed and recorded. On the CD, Micho plays the "E" notes in bars # 1, 3 and 5 of the first part in the upper octave, not the lower, so there is an obvious discrepancy between the "Treoir" transcription and the recording. I have no explanation for that, but I would go for the recorded version which is actually Micho playing the tune, rather than the transcription, which has been made by someone else. It may be useful to post also a transcription from the recording. The tune played on the CD does not seem to have been posted here yet.

Anyone else notice the resemblance to Moving in Old Decency?
https://thesession.org/tunes/2033

This is a transcription of Micho Russell’s playing on the "Rarities and Old Favorites" album. He does switch octaves in places, for example the on the DE FE E2 phrase in bar 4, and the D/d in bars 9 and 11.

Almost how John Carty plays it….in the video I saw, he repeated the first part in the first ‘round’, but it don’t sound right in my ears..

Nice transcription, ceili!