The Walls Of Liscarrol (jig) on The Session

Also known as Andy Hehir’s, Ballaí Lios Cearbhaill, Fallaí Luimní, The Lads On The Mountain, The Walls Of Liscaroll, The Walls Of Liscarroll.

Fifteen comments

Harry Bradley’s Version

Harry Bradley’s version

He rang me about 3 years ago at around 7 pm to chat (3 am his time I think) because he had some kind of temporary amazing phone deal. He talked a bit about this tune and said he had just found a version he really liked in the Roche Collection that was different from the common one. I’m assuming that’s the setting he then recorded.

Yeah, he wrote his version is based on the one found in Roche Collection. I don’t have any tune collection, but does the collection include somewhat unusual versions of the tunes? I’m just curious.

Variation

I like to play the last phrase of each part as:

EDD D3

And I tend to hold those high d notes at the beginning of the second part:

d2d ecA

I think this is pretty much how it’s played on the album The Session by Na Connerys.

K: Dmix
dcA AGE | GED D2E | GEE cEE | GAB cde |
dcA AGE | GED D2E | GEE cEE | EDD D3:|
d2d ecA | d2d ecA | GEE c2c | GAB cde |
[1d2d ecA | d2d ecA | GEE cEE |EDD D3:|
[2dcA AGE | GED D2E | GEE cEE |EDD D3||

http://www.n-ireland.co.uk/genealogy/placenames/placenamesl.htm
gives the etymology of Liscaroll as ‘Cearbhall’s ring-fort’
The name (Cerball) sounds a bit like Carolus (Charles) but probably comes from the Gaelic cearbh: "hacking with a weapon".

It is situated in Co.Cork

i play it in e mixolydian, a version from the armagh piper’s club, tin whistle book 2:

K: Edor
e|edB BAF|AFE E2F|AFF dFF|ABc def|
edB BAF|AFE E2F|AFF DFF|FED E2:|
e|eBe fdB|eBe fdB|AFF dFF|ABc def|
[1 gfe fed|edB d2B|AFA dAF|EFE E2:|
[2 edB BaF|AFE E2F|AFF DFF|FED E2||

Double-stopping in the B part

I tend to hold the first high D in the b part , and double-stop with the D string. Sounds quite exciting

Slightly Different

X: 1
T: Walls Of Liscarrol, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmix
|:d|dcA AGE | GEE D2E | GEE cEE | GAB cde |
dcA AGE | GEE D2E | GEE cEE | d3 D2:||
|:dB/c/d ecA | dB/c/d ecA | GEE cEE | GAB cde |
dB/c/d ecA | dB/c/d ecA | GEE cEE |D3 D3 |
|:dB/c/d ecA | dB/c/d ecA | GEE cEE | GAB cde
dcA AGE | GEE D2E | GEE cEE |D3 D3 |

Dmix or, preferably, Ddor ?

Am I confusing as I am no accompanist at all, but I think that it can’t be Dmix just because the tune ends (the resolution tending) on a D and is written with one sharp (key of G). Why one sharp as there is, in the herein transcriptions, no F sharp at all ? (try to introduce a variation with an F sharp and an F natural : which sounds better ?) These could as well have been written with no sharp, thus in the key of C. And D being the second degree of the C scale and the resolution note, you might logically expect that it is a D dorian, not D mixolydian, 5th degree in a G scale . And that is exactly what happens with the other transcriptions in Edor resolving on E, 2nd degree in the scale of D (2 sharps).
No matter what the tune ends with, when it’s dorian, it’s dorian !
I join my setting in Ador that can be played on a D flute as the other 2. So you can play a nice set beginning in Edor, continuing in Ddor and ending in Ador, or whatever combination of the 3 !-)

The Walls Of Liscarrol, X:8

Transcribed from the Chieftains, The Chieftains 1.

Re: The Walls Of Liscarrol

I am just learning this lovely jig on the flute and i wonder which of this settings are the most common way to play it on the flute and whistle in sessions?

Re: The Walls Of Liscarrol

Re: The Walls Of Liscarrol

https://youtu.be/RGfoVtB6pBY Nice version on a german tradtional instrument the waldzither . Ususally tuned in open C , C G C E G . Fun to play , I bought one for 40 Euros in a secondhand store in North Germany last month