Tomeen O’Dea’s reel

Source: Na Connery’s : “Part II - Fire in Our Hearts”
Transcription: g.m.p.

1st and 5th bars are interchangeable , also 3rd and 7th.

Submitted on July 8th 2006 by tmcelrea.
https://thesession.org/tunes/5944

K: G Major
BGAG EGDG | EAAG (3ABA GA | BGAG EGDG |1 EG (3GGG EGGA :|
2 EG (3GGG EGGF ||
G2 (3Bcd eddg | edBG AGEF | G2 Bd eddg | edBG (3ABA GE |
G2 (3Bcd eddg | edBG AGEG | Bd ~d2 eg ~g2 | agbg aged ||

According to the liner notes from Kevin and Sean Moloney’s album ‘Briging the Gap,’ Sean heard this tune being lilted by a Miss Halpin of Kilmihil, County Clare on an episode of Ciaran Mc Mathuna’s radio programmes.

This particular setting was learned from Patrick Ourceau a few years back.

# Posted on July 8th 2006 by tmcelrea

A nice version it would be a shame to lose in the digital void…

Tom Dunne is joined by Joanie Madden and others on this set…Banks of the Ilen, Tailor’s Thimble, and then this tune…but it is not cross-referenced.

Who was mr. o’dea anyway?

Mick Mulcahy plays this on his “And Friends” album, great tune

is as played by Dervish on “At The End Of The Day”
https://thesession.org/recordings/213

According to Jackie Daly, Teomin O Dhea was a dancemaster in Kerry - in the old days when dancemasters carried a pocket fiddle.

Tomeen O’Dea’s: https://thesession.org/tunes/2524

Mrs. Halpin’s Favourite: https://thesession.org/tunes/5944

Great reel! I like to play this on fiddle, even though this is more a flute tune.

On Marcas O’Murchu’s album “Turas Ceoil”, this tune is named Colin Boyd’s Favourite.
https://thesession.org/recordings/2162

Tomeen O’ Dea was a fiddle and flute player from Clonina, Cree in County Clare and this tune was named after him many years ago.

Anybody know who composed this lovely reel, I heard it played at a lot of sesiúns in Co Clare

The Fiddler’s Companion has this to say - http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/TOM_TON.htm.

TOMEEN O’DEA’S REEL. AKA – “Thomaisin O’Dea’s.” Irish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning. AB. The tune closely shares melodic material with “An tSeanbhean Bhocht” and “Bantry Bay Hornpipe,” with which it is paired in the Tubridy book. See also the related “Glenmore Hunt.” Breathnach (CRÉ I), 1963; No. 98. Breathnach (Folk Music and Dance of Ireland), 1971; 20. Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, vol. 1), 1999; pg. 25.

As played by Therese McInerney and Marian Curtin on The Youth That Belonged To Miltown. Track #5.3.

According to the sleeve notes “Tomín O’Dea’s comes from an archival recording of Patrick Kelly (fiddle) Cree as par of the Barry Taylor Collection”.

https://theresemcinerneyandmariancurtin.bandcamp.com/track/the-west-clare-railway-the-galtee-reel-tom-n-o-deas-reels

Been here a mere 18 years Dave. Sorry, Kenny.
https://thesession.org/tunes/1986

I like DaveF’s version the best because of the eBdB in bars 1 and 5 of the B-part, that none of the other
transcriptions have. That phrasing is best on concertina. So this should be merged into the page tunes/1986 .

Thanks Kenny! I did a search and couldn’t find it.

This is a great reel for flute, and I always associate it with Co. Clare flute players in particular. It was a favourite of the “Chieftains” original flute player Michael Tubridy, who used to play it as one of the tunes in his solo in the “Drowsy Maggie” medley set they used to play. Not sure if he did that when they recorded the set on “Chieftains 4”, but I heard him playing it live on several occasions.
P.J. Crotty used to play it a lot too, and I posted a recording from 1980 Willie Clancy week of him playing it on “Youtube” - second reel here :
https://youtu.be/iplOouRupAk

play video