The Mullingar Races reel

A couple weeks ago I posted the “Monsignor’s Blessing” & Will noted the resemblence to the “Mullingar Races”. At the time I was not familier with the “Mullingar Races” so I looked it up in the “Old” O’Neill’s. Outside of the first measure I think these tunes share very little. This setting is note for note in from the book. Maybe you are are know a different setting Will?

Brad

Yes, the setting I know does differ some from the old O’Neill’s, though it’s clearly the same tune. And I don’t hear much if any difference in the overall chordal structure between Mullingar and Monsignor’s Blessing--I’d never string them back to back at a session because they are so similar. By “variation on a theme” in my comment on Monsignor’s, I meant that they obviously come from the same tune family, though they are distinct enough to recognize as separate tunes.
Will

I was looking for this tune and, besides this version, i found a hornpipe version in G (both are in O’Neills). Sounds like a variation on the same tune. I didn’t post it as a tune here because the version i found is notated in 2/4, and the site forces hornpipes to 4/4, and it didn’t look right to me like that. Plus it might confuse people. Here it is:

X: 1
T: The Mullingar Races
M: 2/4
L: 1/16
R: Hornpipe
B: O’Neill’s 1588
K: G
D2|GABG ABcA|defd dcBA|BcBG ABAG|FGAB cAFD|\
GABG ABcA|defd dcBA|B2d2 cAGF|D(G{A}GF) G2:|
(3(def)|g2eg f2ed|gage f2(ed)|defg abag|f2dd (de)dc|\
B2BG AFD2|BdBG ABcA|defd cAGF|D(G{A}GF) G2:|

The hornpipe version looks like “Annie’s Favourite” or “Rover Through the Bog” to me.

https://thesession.org/tunes/3175
https://thesession.org/tunes/4458

its a nice tune but it did my head in tring 2 get the fingers right (I play the piano accordian)

The Dubliners’ version.

X: 1
T: The Mullingar Races
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
Z: olafure@gmail.com. 15. jun 2008
K: Dmaj
FE | DEFD EA, ~A,2 | DEFA Bcde | faec d2cA | BdAF EGFE |
DEFD EA, ~A,2 | DEFA Bcde | faec dBAG |1 FGEF D2 FE :|2 FGEF D2 Ac |
|: d2fd adfd |afdf edBA | d2fd adfd | Beef edBA |
d2fd adfb | afdf edBA | d~gfe dBAG | FGEF D2 :|

Hi all
Does anyone know a good reel (or even slipjig) that would fit in well with The Mullingar Races?

You could try The Traveller https://thesession.org/tunes/143

Mullingar Races and then Traveller after it, that is.

You can always go to Pigeon on the Gate.

The Limerick Lasses goes nice after it.

How about The Crooked Road, which is what Tony Linnane and Noel Hill peerlessly do on “The Iron Behind The Velvet”? The tunes follow on from Christy’s song Trip to Jerusalem. Makes the hairs on the back of me head stand up, does that track! 🙂

the donkey reel its a 50 to 1 outsider or langstromes poney might be a safer bet

try the Merry Blacksmith after the mullingar races…it gives it a bit of oomph!!!gluk

this tune is often played at session by fiddlers who want to part company, so to say, with the non fiddling rabble! 😉

Play these low A’s as high a’s and join in the fun any ‘a’ way!

Once again Josephine Keegan has come up with a new name for a standard tune — she calls this one The Hunchback in her 2004 tune collection A Drop in the Ocean.

Kathleen Collin’s setting is my fav.