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Charlie Mulvihill’s reel

Also known as Charlie Mulvihill’s #1, Charlie Mulvihill’s #2, Charlie Mulvihill’s No. 1, Charlie Mulvihill’s No. 2, Muckross Abbey, Mulvahill’s, Mulvihill’s, O’Brien’s, O’Briens, Paddy Murphy’s Wife, Ríl Uí Mhurchú, Sonny McDonagh’s.

There are 47 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with The Green Mountain (lots of times), The Reel Of Rio (lots of times), Dillon Brown (a few times), Down The Broom (a few times) and The Gatehouse Maid (a few times).

Charlie Mulvihill’s has been added to 22 tune sets.

Charlie Mulvihill's has been added to 146 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Five settings

X: 1
T: Charlie Mulvihill's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
AF F2 G2 FG | AF F2 EGFE | D2 FA dfed | dBAF E2 dB |
AF F2 G2 FG | AF F2 EGFE | D2 FA dfed | dBAF D4 :|
f2 fa g2 fg | afdf edBd | f2 fe dfed | dBAF E2 fg |
af f2 bf f2 | af f2 efde | f2 fe dfed | dBAF D4 :|
# Added by Kenny .
X: 2
T: Charlie Mulvihill's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
AF ~F2 ~G3B | AGFD EGFE | DEFA dfec | dBAF E2 dB |
AF ~F2 ~G3B | AGFD EGFE | DEFA dfec |1 dBAF D4 :|2 dBAF D2 de ||
~f3 a ~g3 a | afdf eBBA | ~f3e dffe | dBAF E2 fg |
af ~f2 bf ~f2 | afdf eBBA | ~f3e dffe |1 dBAF D2 de :|2 dBAF D4 ||
X: 3
T: Charlie Mulvihill's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
dB | A~F3 G2FG | ADFD EGFE | ~D2FA dfef | dBAF E(d{e}d)B |
A~F3 G2FG | ADFD E/F/G FE | DE F/G/A dfec | dBAF D2 :||: ge |
~f3a g2fg | afdf edBd | ~f3e dfec | dBAF E2 fg |
a~f3b~f3 | afdf edBd | fgef dfec | dBAF D2:|
X: 4
T: Charlie Mulvihill's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:dB|AF ~F2 G2 FG|AF ~F2 EGFE|~D2 FA dfec|dBAF E2 dB|
AF ~F2 GFGB|AGFD EGFE|~D2 FA dfec|dBAF D2:|
|:de|f3 a gfgb|afdf eB~B2|fgfe dfec|dBAF E2 fg|
af ~f2 bf ~f2|afdf eB ~B2|fgfe dfec|dBAF D2:|
# Added by ewen .
X: 5
T: Charlie Mulvihill's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:AF F2 G3B|AF F2 EGFE|D2 FA dfec|dBAF E2 dB|
AF F2 G3B|AF F2 EGFE|D2 FA dfec|dBAF D2:|
|:de|f3a g2 fg|afdf eB B2|f3e dfec|dBAF E2 fg|
af f2 bf f2|afdf eB B2|f3e dfec|dBAF D2:|
# Added by JACKB .

Eleven comments

Paddy Murphy’s Wife

Surprised that this fairly well-known reel hasn’t already been posted. First heard on Moloney & Potts’ "Tin Whistles" LP. Also recorded by a very young Frankie Kennedy and Mairead Mooney on a record by Belfast singer Albert Fry. There is a different reel of the same name in O’Neill’s, which Matt Molloy has recorded. A lovely, melodic reel, I think - a perfect flute tune.

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Murphy’s and Charlie Mulvihill’s Reel

This tune is in one of the Brendan Breathnach volumes as Murphy’s. I learned it from Brendan Mulvihill as Charlie Mulvihill’s. There is a great version of it on The Kerry Fiddles with Denis Murphy, Padraig O’Keefe and Julia Clifford. (The cd track list reverses the names - Mulvihill’s is first then Muckross Abbey)

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I also know of a recording by Joanie Madden; I have it on a CD titled Celtic Twilight Volume 5, where it’s performed as flute accompanied by drums. It does make quite a nice flute tune.

Mulvihill’s

I’ve heard it put after Master McDermott’s. Aggie Whyte and Peader O’Lochlain played that set on their famous EP. Jack Coen always played those two together.

Mulvihill’s

This tune is listed as "O’Brien’s" in volume 1 of Bulmer and Sharply’s collection. It occurs just before John Brennan’s. We play these two tunes, in that order, as a set at the Houston sessions.

Muckross Abbey vs. Charlie Mulvihill’s vs. Paddy Murphy’s Wife

The story behind alternative titles:

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/CHA_CHENY.htm#CHARLIE_MULVIHILL%27S_(REEL)_[1]
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/PAA_PAP.htm#PADDY_MURPHY%27S_WIFE_[2]

"Speed the Plough" is also referred to as "Charlie Mulvihill’s" on Johnny Leary’s "Music for the Set", but Johnny reportedly didn’t agree with Denis Murphy’s choice of the title for the 1st tune recorded on "Kerry Fiddles". Why didn’t Charlie come up with any title for the tune, really? I prefer the ‘invented’ ‘Muckross Abbey’ to avoid confusion, keeping the composer in mind 😉

My error~

Apologies, it is correctly titled Mulvihill’s in Mel’s book. Jeremy, delete these two posts if you see them, thanks.

O’Briens

B&S Book I #9 - I found this circled in my copy so I learned it more than 20 years ago, but no idea where. I cannot find it recorded under this title anywhere, and I had no luck finding a matching signature herein with or without ornaments etc.

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