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The Four Courts reel

Also known as Na Ceithre Cúirteanna.

There are 40 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The Four Courts appears in 4 other tune collections.

The Four Courts has been added to 17 tune sets.

The Four Courts has been added to 214 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Seven settings

1
X: 1
T: The Four Courts
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
AD D2 ADBD | AD D2 G2 FG | AD D2 BG G2 | Bd=cA G2 FG :|
E2 =cE dE=cE | E2 =cA G2 FG | E2 =cE dE=cE | Bd=cA G2 FG |
E2 =cE dE=cE | E2 =cA G2 FG | Ad d2 dcAc | dcAF G2 FG |
A3 d B3 d | ABAF G2 FG | A3 d B3 A | GBdB GBdB |
A3 d B3 d | ABAF G2 FG | Ad d2 dcAc | dcAF G2 FG |
# Added by Kenny .
2
X: 2
T: The Four Courts
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
eA ~A2 eAfA | eA ~A2 d2 cd | eA ~A2 ~f2 fe |1 ~df ~f2 df af :|2 df ~f2 d2 cA|
B2 gB aB gB | ~B2 ge d2 cA | ~B2 Bg aBgB | fa ge d2 cA |
~B2 Bg aBgB | B2 ge d2 cd | ea ~a2 ag ea | ag ec d2 cd |
~e3 A ~f3 d | ~e3 c d2 cd | ~e3 A f3 e | d ~f3 dfaf |
~e3 A ~f3 d | ~e3 c d2 cd | ea ~a2 ag ea | ag ec d2 cd |
3
X: 3
T: The Four Courts
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
AD (3DDD ADBD | AD (3DDD ~G2 FG | AD (3DDD BG ~G2 | BdcA ~G2 FG :|
(3EEE cE dEcE | (3DDD AD BDAD |(3EEE cE dEcE | (3Bcd cA ~G2 FG |
(3EEE cE dEcE | (3DDD AD BDAD|(3EEE cE dEcE| dcAF ~0G2 FG |
~A3 d ~B3 d | ~A3F ~G2 FG | ~A3 d ~B3 A | GBdB GBdB |
~A3 d ~B3 d | ~A3F ~G2 FG | Ad fe dcAc | dcAF ~G2 FG |
4
X: 4
T: The Four Courts
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amix
|:eA A2 eAfA | eA A2 d2 (3Bcd | eA A2 fd d2 | fage d2 (3Bcd |
eA A2 eAfA | eA A2 d2 (3Bcd | eA A2 fage | fage d2 (3Bcd ||
|:B2 gB aBgB | B2 ge d2 (3Bcd | B2 gB aBgB | fage d2 (3Bcd |
B2 gB aBgB | B2 ge d2 cd | ea a2 ageg | agec d2 (3Bcd ||
|:e3 a f3 a | efec d2 cd | e3 a f3 e | dfaf dfaf |
e3 a f3 a | efec d2 (3Bcd | ea a2 ageg | agec d2 cd ||
# Added by JACKB .
5
X: 5
T: The Four Courts
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmix
dG G2 dGeG | dG G2 c2 Bc | dG G2 ec c2 | eg=fd c2 Bc :|
A2 =fA gA=fA | A2 =fd c2 Bc | A2 =fA gA=fA | eg=fd c2 Bc |
A2 =fA gA=fA | A2 =fd c2 Bc | dg g2 gfdf | gfdB c2 Bc |
d3 g e3 g | dedB c2 Bc | d3 g e3 d | cege cege |
d3 g e3 g | dedB c2 Bc | dg g2 gfdf | gfdB c2 Bc |
# Added by JACKB .
6
X: 6
T: The Four Courts
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:AD D2 ADBD | AD D2 G2 (3EFG | AD D2 BG G2 | BdcA G2 (3EFG |
AD D2 ADBD | AD D2 G2 (3EFG | AD D2 BdcA | BdcA G2 (3EFG ||
|:E2 =cE dE=cE | E2 =cA G2 (3EFG | E2 =cE dE=cE | BdcA G2 (3EFG |
E2 =cE dE=cE | E2 =cA G2 FG | Ad d2 dcAc | dcAF G2 (3EFG ||
|:A3 d B3 d | ABAF G2 FG | A3 d B3 A | GBdB GBdB |
A3 d B3 d | ABAF G2 (3EFG | Ad d2 dcAc | dcAF G2 FG ||
# Added by JACKB .
7
X: 7
T: The Four Courts
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amix
||eA ~A2 eAfA | eA A2 d2 cd | eA ~A2 fd ~d2 | fage d2 af |
eA A2 eAfA | eA A2 d2 cd | eA A2 fd d2 | fage d2 dc ||
||B2 gB aBgB | B2 ge d2 cd | B2 gB aBgB | fage d2-d2 |
B2 gB aBgB | B2 ge d2 fg | a2-af ge ~e2 | fage d2 cd ||
||e3 e f3 f | efec d2 cd | e3 e fd ~d2 | fage d2 af |
e3 e f3 f | efec d2 fg | a2 af ge ~e2 | fage d2 cd ||

Eleven comments

The Four Courts

Requested by grymater. "De Danann" used to follow it with "Paddy Taylor’s" aka "McCabe’s". A great reel.

Posted by .

The Four Courts

It seems related to "Within a Mile of Dublin," "Drowsy Maggie," and of course "Sleepy Maggie."

The Four Courts

The A part is very like a reel played by The Boys of the Lough; they called it "The Wild Irishman". It’s also called "O’Rourke’s". The B and C parts are a significant departure. "The Four Courts" can be found in The Northern Fiddler.

Closely Related Tune

Tinkerman’s Wife: https://thesession.org/tunes/4944

Sorry, I haven’t learned them yet. But "The Four Courts" is a rather well-known pipe tune, so I think I’m going to learn this first.

Toss the Feathers

Christy Dunne calls this tune Toss the Feathers on his pluckin’ good album but it is clearly a mistake so I will not make it an alternative title.

Transcription from Lunasa version on Kinnitty sessions (The Walrus)

X: 1
T: Four Courts, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
eA ~A2 eAfA | eA ~A2 d2 cd | eA ~A2 ~f2 fe |1 ~df ~f2 df af :|2 df ~f2 d2 cA|
B2 gB aB gB | ~B2 ge d2 cA | ~B2 Bg aBgB | fa ge d2 cA |
~B2 Bg aBgB | B2 ge d2 cd | ea ~a2 ag ea | ag ec d2 cd |
~e3 A ~f3 d | ~e3 c d2 cd | ~e3 A f3 e | d ~f3 dfaf |
~e3 A ~f3 d | ~e3 c d2 cd | ea ~a2 ag ea | ag ec d2 cd |

four courts ree

the best version of this reel is on christy dunnes cd called plucking good he has it listed as toss the feathers great tune

The Four Courts, X:7

The Kilfenora Ceili Band version (from the video above). They play the 3rd part as an intro, which gives a great lift after the preceding Em tune.