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The Kerry Cow polka

Also known as All The Way To Galway, All The Ways To Galway, An Bhó Chiarraíoch, I Wish I Had A Kerry Cow, Road To Galway, The Road To Galway.

There are 19 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with John Brosnan’s (a few times).

The Kerry Cow has been added to 6 tune sets.

The Kerry Cow has been added to 130 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Four settings

X: 1
T: The Kerry Cow
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
A>B AG|FA d2|G>A GF|EF G/F/E|
A>B AG|FA de/d/|cA GE|D2 D2:|
|:d>e fd|cA A>d|BG GA/B/|cA A2|
d>e fd|cA Ad|BG AF|D2 D2:|
X: 2
T: The Kerry Cow
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
A2 A/>B/A/G/ | FA d2 | GG/G/ GF | EF GE |
A2 A/B/A/G/ | FA d>A | FA Ge | d2 d2 |
A2 A/>B/A/G/ | FD d2 | GG/G/ GF | EF GE |
A2 A/B/A/G/ | FA d>A | FA Ge | d2 d2 ||
d>e f>f | ec A2 | BG GA | BA A2 |
(3d/c/d/ d/e/ f (3f/g/f/ | ec AG | =cc/c/ ce | d2 d2 |
d>e f>f | ec A>A | BG GA | BA A2 |
d>e f>f | ec AG/G/ | =cc/c/ cE | D2 d2 |]
X: 3
T: The Kerry Cow
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|: A>B AG | F A d>d | EF GF | EF G ^G |
A>B AG | F A d>d | cA GE | D2 D2 :|
|: d>e fd | cA A>A | BG G/A/B/G/ | BA A2 |
d>e fd | ca a>a | ba ge | d2 d2 :|
X: 4
T: The Kerry Cow
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
A>B AF|Ad cA|G>A GE|FG AF|A>B AF|Ad c>B|AF GE|D2 D2:|
|:d>e fd|cA A~A|BG G~G|BA AF|d/c/d/e/ fd|cA AF|GB AF|1 D2 D2:|2 DE FG||

Six comments

John Wynne (flute … plays with Providence) plays a cracking version on "With Every Breath" … a lovely album.

The Kerry Cow

I’ve only ever known this tune as ‘All the way to Galway’

“The Road to Galway” ~ an old Clare polka for the sets, Micho Russell

Here’s just some of the ways Micho has had with this polka…

X: 2
T: The Road to Galway
S: Micho Russell
N: playing a C whistle, transposed to D for this transcription
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
A2 A/>B/A/G/ | FA d2 | GG/G/ GF | EF GE |
A2 A/B/A/G/ | FA d>A | FA Ge | d2 d2 |
A2 A/>B/A/G/ | FD d2 | GG/G/ GF | EF GE |
A2 A/B/A/G/ | FA d>A | FA Ge | d2 d2 ||
d>e f>f | ec A2 | BG GA | BA A2 |
(3d/c/d/ d/e/ f (3f/g/f/ | ec AG | =cc/c/ ce | d2 d2 |
d>e f>f | ec A>A | BG GA | BA A2 |
d>e f>f | ec AG/G/ | =cc/c/ cE | D2 d2 |]

All The Way To Galway

Nothing whatsover to do with the other tunes called "All the Way to Galway" already posted to session.org.

This tune was popular with ceilidh bands in my area (Bristol UK) in the 1960s/1970s. Less commonly played now - although we still play it (but not at sessions).

Re: The Kerry Cow

Yes, Mix O’Lydian, this polka is actually very much related to the reel https://thesession.org/tunes/249
Compare the two below. (I’ve swapped around the parts of the reel)

T:Kerry Cow, The
R:polka
S:Mary Bergin
Z:id:hn-polka-23
M:2/4
L:1/8
K:D
A>B AG|FA d2|G>A GF|EF G/F/E|A>B AG|FA de/d/|cA GE|D2 D2:|
|:d>e fd|cA A>d|BG GA/B/|cA A2|d>e fd|cA Ad|BG AF|D2 D2:|

Reel "All the Way to Galway" / "The Road to Lisdoonvarna":
~A3G AB=cA | GAGF EFG2 | ABAG AB=cA | GE=cE D4 |
DAAG AB=cA | GE~E2 =cEGE | DAAG AB=cA | GE=cE D4 ||
|: d2fd cA~A2 | BG~G2 cA~A2 | d2fd cA~A2 | BGAF D4 :|

The Kerry Cow, X:4

This is how I’ve always heard the tune played.