Dinny O’Brien’s reel

I’ve known this tune almost as long as I’ve played fiddle, but my source for it is long forgotten. It’s one of those classic Dmix tunes, wandering between c nats and c sharps, and I love that f nat thrown into the B part. Gives backers fits the first time they hear it. 🙂

Dinny was father of Tipperary tune composer and accordion and fiddle player Paddy O’Brien. According to Fintan Vallely’s “Companion to Irish Trad Music,” Dinny played fiddle and led the Bridge Ceili Band. Apparently, Dinny got many of his tunes from Mick Quinn, who in turn lifted them from Matt Seymour and Darby Kennedy, pipers from Portroe.

A similar setting, minus the accidental c’s and f, appears in Breathnach’s Ceol Rince na hEireann, Volume 3, collected from fiddler Joe Ryan.

I was told by somebody that this tune was composed by Paddy O’Brien, for his father - but I may have been misinformed.

Here’s a different setting which I’ve heard somewhere. Personally, I prefer Will’s setting, but some phrases in this one can be used as variations.

T: Dinny O’Brien’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmix
g|fd (3ddd ABcA|dcAd cAGE|D2 (3FED ADFD|EGAB cdeg|
|fdd^c AB=cA|dcAd cAGE|D2 ~E3G AB|cAGE{G} EDD:||
z|fdd^ c defg|ad (3ddd adfd|e=ccB cdef|gc (3ccc gceg|
|fd (3ddd AB=cA|d=cAd cAGE|D2 ~E3G AB|cAGE EDD:||

This tune was composed by Paddy O‘ Brien. It’s a nice tune - a favourite among Tipperary musicians especially members of the Paddy O’Brien Ormond C.C.E.

Thanks for the info--always good to give credit where it’s due, and Paddy O’Brien composed a great tune, this.

Key signature: D Mixolydian
Submitted on July 25th 2006 by MBAC.
https://thesession.org/tunes/6019/

K: D Mixolydian
|: g2 |
“D” fddd dcAB | “C” c2 Bd cAGE | “D” D2 D2 FGAB | “C” c2 Bd ca g2 |
“D” fdd/d/d dcAB | “C” c2 Bd cAGE | “D” D2 D2 FGAB | “C” cAGE “D” D2 :|
|: g2 |
|: “D” fdd/d/d defg | add/d/d bdad | “C” c2 B2 cdef | gcc/c/c acgc |
“D” abga fgef | “C” d2 AB cAGE | “D” D2 D2 FGAB | “C” cAGE “D” D2 :|

No comment was made by the contributor MBAC who had entered this under the heading ‘hornpipe’ which it is assumed, since this setting doesn’t fit well there, was a mistake along with a few other minor problems with the notation. It’s a nice setting for the reel, some interesting twists, and the contributor went to the appreciated extra length of including chords.

I have confidence future efforts will be made with a growing understanding… 😉

“The Compositions of Paddy O’Brien”
J.D.C. Publications Ltd., 1992

Page38 ~ “Dinny O’Brien’s Reel”

Paddy O’Brien, as is true of most of us, would appreciate the nature of names and gan ainms and I’m sure would find humour here. But it is nice to have his name follow whatever title this lovely reel might pick up in the handling and handing on…

“The Last House in / of Connaught / Connacht”
~ the tale in the title?!?

If anyone knows the story behind this, as to how the alternate title came about, as I have only vague fragments floating around associated with it, please offer it up here. Maybe there’s something in the liner notes for a recording?

Ages back, so don’t expect specifics, I learned these tunes in a set, starting with “The First House in Connaught” and ending with “Dinny O’Brien’s”, which was alternately titled “The Last House in Connaught”, and the set became known as “The First and Last House in Connaught”… It is an interesting move from G Major to D Mixolydian…

Paddy O’Brien’s notation, like the original submission here, has both ^c (c#) and =c (c natural) in it. I remember playing it along those lines but now find myself favouring c nat throughout…which somehow feels out of character? 😏

K: D Mixolydian
|: e |
fd^ce d=cAB | c2 B/c/d cAGE | D2 F/E/D ADFD | E/F/G AB c2 eg |
fd d/d/d dcAB | c2 Bd cAGE | DEFD E/F/G AB |1 cAGE D3 :|
2 cAGE D2 ||
|: eg |
fed^c defg | ad^cd Ad f/e/d | egcG B/c/d ef | gcBc Gc e/f/g |
1 fed^c d=cAB | c2 Bd cAGE | D2 FD E/F/G AB | cAGE D2 :|
2 fd^cd AB=cA | d2 ^ce d=cGE | D2 F/E/D EFGE | cAGE D3 ||

ever wonder about just how similar this tune is to “tatter jack walsh”? aside from the meter that is . . .

Here’s a nice version played on video
http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_227_2_attracta_brady_reels/

X: 1
T: Dinny O’Briens
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: Gmaj
dB|:DGBG ABcA|defa gfdc|B3d cAFD|GBAF DEFD|
GDBD ABcA|defa gfdc|BGBd cAFD|1AGGF G2 dB:|2AGGF G2 (3def||
|:g3a gfdf|gdbg gfde|dcde fgaf|fd d2 dcAF|
G2 BG ABcA|defa gfdc|B3d cAFA|1AGGF G2 (3def:|2AGGF G2 dB||

The hornpipe posted by “JACKB” above isn’t Paddy Keenan’s “version”of this reel, it’s a completely different tune altogether, which just occasionally happens to have the name “Dinny O‘Brien’s”. The only thing they have in common is “Dinny O’Brien’s” name as a title.

Regarding Kenny’s comment, that hornpipe is in fact a version of the tune (sometimes known as) The Butchers of Bristol and was first recorded from the playing of Jem Byrne on an ediphone cylinder.

This is misnamed as The Last House In Connaught on Paddy Glackin’s album “In Full Spate”. Not sure where he got that name from but everyone else has recorded it under its original title. Here’s the version in P O’B’s book. I’ve converted it from Dmaj to Dmix as it makes more sense that way, so watch the c’s - they’re natural unless marked sharp (^)!

X: 1
T: Dinny O’Brien’s
S: The Compositions of Paddy O’Brien
M: C
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
fd~d2 d^cAB|~c2Bd cAGE|D2 (3FED ADFD|(3EFG AB cdeg|
fd~d2 d^cAB|~c2Bd cAGE|DEFD (3EFG AB|cAGE FDDe:|
|:fed^c defg|ad~d2 adfd|(3efg cB cdef|gc~c2 gceg|
1 fd~d2 d^cAB|~c2Bd cAGE|DEFD (3EFG AB|cAGE FDDe:|
2 fd~d2 ABcA|dedB ^cAGE|DEFD (3EFG AB|cAGE FDDe||

The version I play is a little bit different. Can’t remember where I got it from - perhaps a combination of different recorded versions and the original? It’s simple and lies under the fingers nicely for me.

X: 1
T: Dinny O’Brien’s
M: C
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
fdd^c d=cAB|~c2Bd cAGE|D2FD ADFD|(3EFG AB cdeg|
fdd^c d=cAB|~c2Bd cAGE|D2FD (3EFG AB|cAGE EDDe:|
|:fdd^c defg|ad~d2 adfd|eccB cdef|~g2af gfeg|
fd~d2 ABcA|dcAd cAGE|D2FD (3EFG AB|cAGE EDDe:|

In sessions, I hear a lot of people playing line 4 the same as line 2, missing that nice little turn |fd~d2 ABcA|dcAd cAGE|.

Be careful not to mix the 2nd part up with the Holly Bush https://thesession.org/tunes/1566!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0ajuqKTpn0

play video

Very similar to #1, this version comes from Irish Tunes by the 100 volume 1 by Sean McGuire and Josephine Keegan. 1975

As played by Calum Stewart and Heikki Bourgault on their album Hunter’s Moon.

a version from the playing of Oisin mac diarmada on Teada album: “ainneoin na stoirme” (in spite of the storm)

With dancing :
https://youtu.be/Lr2efObjn14

play video

The 5th version of the dots shown here is completely different tune that I had actually been looking for. Does anyone know what the 5th tune is actually called and is it a reel, set dance or hornpipe?

It’s this one (apparently also a “Dinny O’Brien’s”):
https://thesession.org/tunes/3175

Beaten by 1 minute ! The hornpipe was recorded by “De Danann” under the title “Dinny O‘Brien’s” on the “3rd Irish Folk Festival” tour double CD from 1977, so it’s been associated with D.O’B’s name for over 40 years now. Nothing to do with the reel apart from the title.

Simple setting with chords.

This would be for me the starting point to add cuts, rolls, tripets, semiquavers and variations. Not sure where exactly I got the melody line, it is the one I always had in my head. It could be from the Breton band Gwendal or the sessions I went for a few years in Madrid, Galway and Cork I think.

I got the chords from setting X:3 and I added a couple of A7, I got the idea of adding this chord from setting X:8.

I can’t see any comments on X:5 but my reading of the dots here suggests that it isn’t the same tune as all the other settings shown.