The Bank Of Turf jig

nobu,
this is definitely not the hornpipe of the same name on Liam O’Flynn’s unnamed first recording.
What is the source for this tune?
I’s a nice tune anyhow!

This is a great tune - I think I learned it from a Tommy Peoples record ~? ‘The Iron Man’ isn’t it?

I don’t know the full story but there was something about Padraig O’ Keefe writing the notation for this jig on a bank of turf in the bog when passing on the melody to a fellow musician (possibly Dennis Murphy). Maybe this is just a "folk tale" but at least it puts this great tune into a Sliabh Luachra context.

This is also called " Padraig O’Keefes " on ( one of ) Mary Bergins records, and I think on Denis Murphy’s with Julia Clifford CD ( Star above the Garter)

Pat Higgins

More than one tune got the bank treatment when young Dennis Murphy passed Padraig O’Keefe while Padraig was out cutting the peat…

Stephen - this is called Tom Billy’s on ‘The Iron Man’ by Tommy Peoples & Daithi Sproule. 🙂

The Bank of Turf appears as Gan ainm on John Whelan’s Celtic Roots (Spirit Of Dance) https://thesession.org/recordings/display/949

Bannerman - seems to be more than a folk tale, but Alan Ward said that the story is "more normally linked with a three-part hornpipe" - in other words, the other "Bank of Turf," https://thesession.org/tunes/1128 :

"When no manuscript paper was available Padraig [O’Keeffe] would improvise by drawing the lines for the tablature using his bow as a ruler. On one famous occasion he met Denis Murphy who was cutting turf. Denis wanted to learn a particular tune and so Padraig drew lines on the turf and marked out the notes. Denis named the tune "The Bank of Turf" in consequence…"
(Music from Sliabh Luachra by Alan Ward, 1976)

Submitted on June 30th 2009 by talltorpedo.
~ /tunes/9716

X: 2
T: Bank Of Turf Kirbo-charged, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
dB |:\
ABA DFA | BAF DFA | dcd ede | fef def |
gfg efb |[1 afe def |efd edB | cdB AdB :|[2 afe dcB | AFA efe | dAF Dcd ||
|: eAA efg | fdd fga | gfe fed | edB ABd |
eAA efg | fdd fga | gfe dcB |[1 cdB Acd :|[2 cdB AdB |]

Father and daughter playing The Bank of Turf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qAH2ravRrU#t=1m30s

play video

This is the first in a set of slides included here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOJAhrPcHFU

play video

Goes by pretty quick, though, blink and you’ll miss it.

Here’s a really nice clip of Randal Bays playing this tune with Davey Mathias accompanying him on guitar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IewhZEwNYAI

play video

This is the first of the four "Kerry Slides" on Chieftains 5 (https://thesession.org/recordings/884). I don’t know how this one’s actually called, so I submitted it as "Kerry Slide" so far. I’ve been looking for it quite a while, but I really couldn’t find it…

The Chieftains play it very "rolly", with a roll on virtually every crotchet - I transcribed just that way. There’s also a very nice version (of course) by Mary Bergin on Youtube, which is quite similar, except for the 2nd bar of the B part, where she plays ‘|gfe fed …’ instead of ‘|~g2e ~f2d …’.
It’s the second one at 1:23 …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEW1HQBk4WM

play video

I find this tune particularly catchy, and fell in love immediately when I first heard the 3rd bar of the A part.

That’s known as "O’Keefe’s" or "Bank of Turf"

Ah, indeed. I’ve looked for it in several collections, but being actually a double jig, it’s not surprising that I didn’t find it. But this makes entirely sense. I just wonder why the ABC-search failed… However, thanks for clarifying!

It’s pretty hard to pull up matches here on the ABC search. Next time you’re trying to track down a tune, I’d recommend Tunepal.org or just post your ABC to the discussions section and ask. 🙂

From the playing of fiddler Frances Marriott.