Handsome Sally reel

Played by Noel Hill & Tony Linnane - Glasgow Folk Festival 1984.
I’ve only ever heard this reel played after “John ”Watt“ Henry’s” , which I posted the other day. It’s a close relation to “Drowsy Maggie”. Recorded by Matt Molloy on his “Stony Steps” LP.

This tune appears as an unusual setting of “The Man of the House” on Catherine and John McEvoy’s “The Kilmore Fancy.”

Here’s the transcription of the tune mostly based on Pat McManus’s tasteful fiddle playing:

K: Edor
E2BE GEBE|E2BE FAAF|E2BE GEBE|1 BdAG FDDF:|2 BdAG FDDe||
fedc d3e|fede fgag|fedc d3A|1 BdAG FDDe:|2 BdAG FDDF||

I prefer this haunting Fermanagh setting. Or is this a Fermanagh tune? Anyway, this is one of my current favourite tunes. It goes nicely with Mrs. McLeod.

practically is drowsie maggie!!!

Just had a workshop today with John Carty, and he gave us this tune (note it’s on one of the At The Racket cds). He said that he got it from the McDonagh brothers from Sligo, and that there’s a CCE cd of them, so now I’ve got to go looking for that!

Zina - The McDonaghs CD was brought out by Comhaltas a few years back, Catalogue No.CL53, and is of re-mastered recordings made in the 1960s. The only reason I haven’t posted it in the recordings is laziness. There are 37 tracks in all, with most of them being tunes played on their own rather than sets. The sleeve notes contend that these recordings of the brothers give a glimpse of what Sligo music was like before the enormous influence of Coleman and Morrison, etc, and their recordings. I’ll try to post it in the next week . If you do get hold of it, I’d be interested to hear what you think.

Another enigmatic tune that shows up on the now famous Gort Tape.

The third setting is mostly based on Catherine and John McEvoy’s version. A friend of mine, who spent 5 years in Dublin, occasionally plays almost the same version of the tune.

This tune appears to be very closely related to the reel The New Potatoes appearing in O’Neill (ON1850 #1505).

This setting appears - under Drowsy Maggie - in the Traditional Tune Archive, where it is denoted as a “County Clare setting”. Which may add some controversy as to the origin of the tune…

Slainte, don’t know if it’s a Fermanagh tune as such, but it is in the Gunn ms 1865, and that is where Pat McManus’ version is from.
Kenny, the McDonagh’s CD is one of my all-time favourites! Let me know if you’re too busy and I’ll put it on the site myself

Found time to do it 9 years ago 🙂

https://thesession.org/recordings/1976

Gerry Harrington taught this tune in a class in Drumshanbo as ‘The Sligo version of Drowsy Maggie’ - presumably learned with that name from Peter Horan.

In 1990 Matt Molloy appeared on The Pure Drop and referred to this tune as “Molly on the Shore.”

And yet he recorded it on “Stony Steps” as “Handsome Sally”. Second tune on final track. Heresy it may be, but I would suggest Matt Molloy made a mistake with his introduction on the programme you watched, PB.

First turn of Matt Molloy’s version on “Stony Steps”, played in the set after “Johnny ‘Watt’ Henri’s Favourite”