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The Moving Bog polka

Also known as O’Sullivan’s.

There are 11 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The Moving Bog appears in 1 other tune collection.

The Moving Bog has been added to 2 tune sets.

The Moving Bog has been added to 41 tunebooks.

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Four settings

1
X: 1
T: The Moving Bog
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
B2G2|de/f/ gB|A2 AB|d2 BA|
B2 G2|de/f/ gB|A2 BA|1 GF GA:|2 GF Gg||
fa d2|e/f/e/d/ BA|B>A GE|B>A Gg|
fa d2|e/f/e/d/ BA|B>A GB/d/|1 gg g>e:|2 gg GA||
2
X: 2
T: The Moving Bog
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
de|d2G2 B2c2|d6 e2|fed2 c2B2|A2B2 c2de|
d2G2 B2c2|d6 e2|fed2 c2A2|A2 G2 G2:|
B2|d2g2 g2a2|b4 a2g2|f2d2 d2e2|f2g2 a2f2|
d2g2 g2a2|b2c'b a2g2|f2d2 c2A2|A2G2 G2B2|
d2g2 g2a2|b4 a2g2|f2d2 d2e2|f2g2 a4|
gab2 a2f2|g2f2 d2e2|f2d2 c2A2|A2G2 G2||
3
X: 3
T: The Moving Bog
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
B2 G2|de/f/ gB|A2 AB|d2 BA|
B2 G2|de/f/ gB|AA BA|GF G2:|
fa d2|e/f/e/d/ BA|B>A GE|B>A GE|
fa d2|e/f/e/d/ BA|B>A GB/d/|g2 g2:|
4
X: 4
T: The Moving Bog
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:fa/f/ df|e/f/e/d/ BA|B>A GE|B/c/B/A/ GE|
fa/f/ df|e/f/e/d/ BA|B>A G/A/f/g/|ag g2:|
|:B>A GB|de/f/ gB|A3 B|de/d/ BA|
B>A GB|de/f/ gB|AG/A/ BA|1 G3 A:|2 G2 G2||

Eight comments

Source: Gerry Harrington, Eoghan O’Sullivan,Paul de Grae:“The Smoky Chimney”
Transcription: g.m.p.

Padraig O’Keeffe version

Padraig O’Keeffe plays the two parts in reverse order, which makes the tune more modal, and thus really interesting, IMHO. His version is a truly lovely one (as all of his playing, in fact)…

Jerry O’Sullivan: The Invasion

This is the tune from the O’Sullivan recording.

T:O’Sullivan’s Polka
R:polka
D:Jerry O’Sullivan: The Invasion
Z:Bill Reeder
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:G
de|d2G2 B2c2|d6 e2|fed2 c2B2|A2B2 c2de|!
d2G2 B2c2|d6 e2|fed2 c2A2|A2 G2 G2:||!
B2|d2g2 g2a2|b4 a2g2|f2d2 d2e2|f2g2 a2f2|!
d2g2 g2a2|b2c’b a2g2|f2d2 c2A2|A2G2 G2B2|!
d2g2 g2a2|b4 a2g2|f2d2 d2e2|f2g2 a4|!
gab2 a2f2| g2f2 d2e2|f2d2 c2A2|A2G2 G2||

O’Sullivan’s Polka (McAuliffe’s Polka)

The setting I’ve just added is from Kevin Conneff’s album The Week Before Easter (1988) and forms part of the “McAuliffe’s Polkas” set. Possibly the two tunes there are named after Nicholas McAuliffe.

The Moving Bog, X:4 (Julia & Billy Clifford’s)

This is the quirky version of O’Sullivan’s polka as played by Julia and Billy Clifford on Ceol as Sliabh Luachra, a somewhat underappreciated recording that is the source of a few fantastic tunes and/or versions, including The Cuban! https://thesession.org/recordings/1291

Julia and Billy play the “quirky” part of the tune a bit differently:
- Julia: G/A/f/g/ ag g2
- Billy: G/A/B/d/ ag g2

Pick your favourite! Or, maybe, it could be G/B/f/g/ ag g2?

Billy revisited this set with Gerry Harrington on their 2018 CD, Now She’s Purring, where they call the two Thadelo’s & The Green Cottage. Incidentally, the version of the latter is also quite unusual!