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The Four Courts reel

Also known as Na Ceithre Cúirteanna.

There are 41 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 25 tune sets.

The Four Courts has been added to 231 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 ~
G2 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 d2d2|
B2 gB aBgB|B2 ge d2 fg|a2af 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||

Twelve 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.