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An Buachaillin Dreoite jig

Also known as An Buachaill, An Buachaill Dreoite, An Buchaill Dreoite, June Mccormack’s, The Sick Boy, The Spent Boy, The Tired Boy, The Withered Boy, The Worn-out Boy, The Worn-out Lad, The Worn-out Laddie.

There are 18 recordings of this tune.

An Buachaillin Dreoite has been added to 10 tune sets.

An Buachaillin Dreoite has been added to 92 tunebooks.

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Three settings

1
X: 1
T: An Buachaillin Dreoite
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
DGG AAG|A (3BAG G2A|DGG AAG|cAG =FDC|
DGG AAG|A (3BAG GBd|eef gfd|1 cAF G2F:|2 cAF G2A||
BAB cBc|ded G2A|BAB GBd|cAG FGA|
BAB cBc|dcd efg|a2f gfd|cAF G2A:|
# Added by kiwi .
2
X: 2
T: An Buachaillin Dreoite
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
D.G.G ~A2 G|~A2 G G2 A|D.G.G ~A2 G|cAG FDc|
D.G.G ~A2 G|~A2 G GBd|~f3 gfd|1 cAD FGA:|2 cAF G3||
A|B3 cBc|.e.cA G3|B3 GBd|cAG FGA|
BAB cBc|d^cd efg|.a2 f gfd|cAG G3:|
3
X: 3
T: An Buachaillin Dreoite
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:A,DD E{F}ED|EFD D2 C|A,DD E/F/ED|GED CA,G,|
A,DD E/F/ED|EFD DFA|~c3 dcA|1 GEC D2C:|2 GEC D2E||
|:~F3 ~G3|ABA D2E|~F3 D (3FGA|GED CDE|
~F3 ~G3|AGE Bcd|e{f}ec dcA|1 GEC D2E:|2 GEC D3||

Thirteen comments

An Buachaillin Dreoite

Not exactly but very similar to a "gan ainm" tune taught at a workshop by Dezi Donnelly in Philadelphia last year. He learned it from someone who didn’t know its name.

Surely this can’t mean "The Rotting Boy"?! Can anyone translate the title?

An Buachaill Dreoite

I learned this tune from Irish master fiddler, Maeve Donnelly last year. It’s a fling as well as a jig. Maeve taught me both tunes. The fling is played by Joe Ryan on his cd of the same name. She said the name "An Buachaill Dreoite" means "the Spent Boy"…

An Buachaillin Dreoite (jig)

I have been told, that it means worn-out or exhausted boy. Ivan Goff and Patrick Ourceau played this at the 2005 East Coast Tionol in the Catskills with a few minor changes. Lovely tune!

It’s played as a hornpipe/fling on the Brock Maguire album.

An Buachaillin Dreoite Source

Hello all, does anyone have any more information about the source of the jig ‘An Buachaillin Dreoite’ ? I am learning it now, and can’t find it in any of the books I have access to… Anyone know where to look?

Thanks..

An Buachaillin Dreoite

Forgot to mention, I am also looking for alternate versions of the tune…

I wrote to Maeve Donnelly about the tune and she said the following:

"The tune an Buachaill Dreoite is one that has been played a lot in sessions in Co. Clare. It’s played as a fling in 4/4 time and is often followed by the jig version. The version I play is from the music book "The Dance Music of Willie Clancy by Pat Mitchell". It’s a good book. All the piping variations are listed in the tune but it’s possible to ignore them and play the tune. Willie Clancy played the tune on the pipes."

Re: An Buachaillin Dreoite

I heard years ago in Na Píobairí Uilleann circles that it’s a reference to brewer’s droop. Coming from Willie Clancy that sounds plausible.

I’d suggest the best translation in Hiberno-English is The Knackered Lad or, in US English, The Wasted Lad.

Re: An Buachaillin Dreoite

The Fiddle Case does a lovely version of this on their CD Write Me A Letter, with Adam Shapiro on fiddle. I’m fond of "The Knackered Lad" as a translation. A name should have in it poetry, and that does. B