Tom Hackett’s Dream jig

i transcribed this from an old Boys Of The Lough album.I think it was composed by Owen hackett,the banjo player.

I’ve heard this called Owen Hackett’s and know it by that name from the playing of Boys of the Lough, but I learned it originally from Liz Carroll, who called it Paddy Gavin’s.

I used to play this one with my schoolmates in Northumberland and always assumed it was a local tune. Someone Northern must’ve got it from Dave R…

NorthernER

I don’t think its Northumbrian. I’ve not heard it up here and stylisticaly its not right either.

Noel Jackson
Angels of the North

You think so? It struck me as being really Northumbrian in style - it would sound great on the pipes. I’m interested to know what you think is different…

Ah Will, I see that you’ve already realised that this is the same tune as: https://thesession.org/tunes/3282. I only twigged last night when I was playing tunes with some friends and they mentioned the other name. My setting’s different again:

|:dc|BGG Bcd|ecc Gce|dBG dBG|DFA AGA|
B2G Bcd|ecc Gce|dBG cAF|AGF G:|
|:GA|B2d gdB|c2e gec|B2d gdB|Adf fed|
B2d gdB|c2e gec|BdB cAF|AGF G:|

So might this mean that it’s not composed by Owen Hackett, but that someone has learnt it from his playing?

Hi I’m Owen Hackett, the irish Banjo player. I have composed a number of tunes as well as creating a banjo tutor,ISBN is 0-9540554-0-3 I have being playing the Irish Tenor Banjo since the early 60’s, & teaching it since the mid 1970’s. My banjo tutor website is www.irishmusictutor.com- where a few of my compositions can also be heard.
To clarify a point I’d like to mention that the Jig ‘Owen Hackett’ Jig I composed for my father in the early to mid 1970’s and it’s proper name is ‘Tom Hackett’s Dream’ It can also be found in ‘Pipers in Harmony’ book to by Myrna & Martin Luff who wrote to me for permission to include it in their book for Northumbrian Small Pipes. the ISBN is 0952341522

http://www.irishmusictutor.com/

X: 1
T: Doyle’s Jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
|:B3 GBd|ecc Gce|dBG dBG|FAA ABc|
B3 GBd|ecc Gce|dBG cAF|AGG G3:||
|:B2d gdB|c2e gdc|B2d gdB|A2g fdc|
B2d gdB|c2e gdc|B3 cAF|AGG G3:||

I heard this tune at an Irish dancing competition, it id very similar to this tune.

Submitted on May 22nd 2012 by David Levine.
~ /tunes/11935

X: 4
T: Tom Hackett’s Dream
C: Owen Hackett
T: Owenmore
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
|: BAB GBd | e2 c cde | dBG dBG | FGA AGA |
BAB GBd | ecc Gce | dBG FGA | AGF G2 A :|
|: B2 d gdB | c2 e gec | B2 d gdB | Agf edc |
B2 d gdB | c2 e gec | BAB DFA | AGF G3 :|

& the notes ~

From Killarney ~ My fiddling partner tells me that this comes from Padraig Buckley, of The Killarney School of music. I don’t always play this as the tune is written and you probably won’t either and that’s just fine. It is a lovely jig.

We play it followed by Paddy Cronin’s Jig (A Tailor I Am).

# Posted on May 22nd 2012 by David Levine

This jig was recorded years ago by “The Boys Of The Lough” as “Owen Hackett’s” and has been posted here under that name.

# Posted on May 22nd 2012 by Kenny

Tom Hackett’s Dream ~ I got it from Padraig Buckley (Killarney School of Music) as Owenmore. I did some digging and delving since posting it. The tune was recorded by Mike Rafferty as The Road to Ballinakill. But it was written by Owen Hackett for his father, Tom. Its proper name is ‘Tom Hackett’s Dream.’

Cathal learned it and The Boys of the Lough recorded it on “Regrouped” as Owen Hackett’s, hence the title of Owen Muir, or Big Owen… or Owen More, etc. A rose by any name, but fair play to Owen Hackett…. It is “Tom Hackett’s Dream” for me…. Sorry about the duplication…. I assume that only Kerry people call it the Owenmore.

# Posted on May 22nd 2012 by David Levine

X: 5
T: Tom Hackett’s Dream
C: Owen Hackett
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
|: A |\
B^AB GB/c/d | e2 c cde | dBG dBG | FGA ABc |
B^AB GBd | ecG cde | dBG FGA | BGF G2 :|
|: d/c/ |\
B2 d gdB | c2 e gec | B2 d gdB | Aag fdc |
BGd gdB | cGe gec | B^AB cAF | AGF G2 :|

The above setting is lovely. The Bb is a great twist and I love bars 5 and 6.
In the second part, in the fourth bar, it makes more sense to me to play it as: Agf# edc, rather that going up to the high a, but I can see where either would work.
Bars 5 and 6 are tricky but lovely.
Thanks for this … and where did it come from?

Yes, it’s a nice tune…

Owen Hackett can be heard playing this tune himself on:
http://www.banjohangout.org/myhangout/music.asp?id=51091&musicid=21647

From “Owenmore ceili band” by Owenmore ceili band, track 10, 1st tune, the title is “Around Lough Gill”.

This is the 2nd jig in a set of three played by Owenmore ceili band in a collection by Various Artists.

The Road To Ballinakill: https://thesession.org/tunes/2252

I taped this at a session in the 1990s and learned it. I never had a name for it.

When I did a search just now using a few different fragments of the tune Tom Hackett’s Dream was the only match.

I have no idea why it’s so different, with a completely different 2nd part. I would think it’s a different tune altogether except for the uncanny similarity of the 1st part to Tom Hackett’s Dream.

It would be great to know what this tune is, and what it’s relationship is to Tom Hackett’s Dream.

The setting you’ve posted Richard is more or less what I remember as the version played by “The Boys Of The Lough” and called “Owen Hackett’s” on “Regrouped”.
Se approx. 2m 36s : https://youtu.be/kt3G3cmbrcU

play video

It is possible that Cathal “misremembered” the original version, and inadvertantly re-wrote the second part. I can’t say, but the version you’ve posted is the version I used to play, but it’s not a tune I’ve come across in years.