The Ballydesmond polka

I like to play this Ballydesmond polka after the other Ballydesmond polka so I think of it as being Ballydesmond polka number two.

That opening phrase with the descending notes is just begging to be ornamented. You could drone an open E with each note. Alernatively, you could turn the first two into triplets: CBA BAG.

Also know as the “Springtime Polka”.

X:1
T:39. The Ballydesmond polka #2
C:irish trad
Z:Falkbeer
R:polka
Q:“allegro”
L:1/8
M:4/4
K:Ador

“C”cd/c/ “G”Bc/B/ | “am”AB/A/ “em”G>A | “G”Bd ed | g2>d2 |
“am”ea g>e | “G”dB GA/B/ | “C”ce “em”dB | “am”A2A2 :|
“am”ea ag/e/ | “G”dg g>d | “am”ea ab | “em”g2ed |
“am”ea g>e | “G”dB GA/B/ | “am”ce “em”dB | “am”A2A2 :|]

Learned this one as Ballydesmond #2 …

X:1
T: Ballydesmond #2
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K:Gmaj
Q:1/4=130
|:EA AB|cd e2|G>G GA|GE ED|
|EA AB|cd e>f|ge dB|1A2 A>G:|2A2 A2|]
|:a>a ab|ag ef|g>g ga|ge ed|
|a>a ab|ag ef|ge dB|A2 A2:|

# Posted on July 1st 2006 by Rune Stone
https://thesession.org/members/22412

“The Ballydesmond Polkas” (1 or 2) / “Maurice Manley’s Polka”
Submitted on August 16th 2001 by Jeremy.
https://thesession.org/tunes/238

X: 1
T: Maurice Manley’s Polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Ador
|: EA AB | cd e2 | G>F GA | GE ED |
EA AB | B/c/d ef | g/f/e dB | A2 A2 :|
|: a>g ab | ag ef | g>f ga | ge d2 |
ea ab | ag ef | ge dB | A2 A2 :|

X: 2
T: Ballydesmond, The!
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Ador
|: c2 Bc/B/ | AB/A/ G>A | Bd ed | g2 gd |
e/g/a ge | dB GA/B/ | ce dB | A2 A2 :|
|: ea ag/e/ | dg ge/d/ | ea ab | g2 ed |
ea g/a/g/e/ | dB GA/B/ | ce dB | A2 A2 :|

This is this one:http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/ballydesmond_no_1/

X: 4
T: Ballydesmond Polka, The
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Ador
|: AB |\
c2 B2 | A2 G>A | B/c/d ed | g2 ed |
ea g/a/g/e/ | dB GG/A/ | Be dB | A2 :|
|: Bd |\
ea ag/e/ | dg gd | ea ab | g>f gd |
ea g/a/g/e/ | dB GG/A/ | Be dB | A2 :|

X: 5
T: Ballydesmond Polka, The
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Ador
|: B |\
cd/c/ Bc/B/ | AB/A/ G>A | Bd ef | ga/g/ ed |
ea g>e | dB G>B | c/d/e dB | A2- A :|
|: B/d/ |\
ea a>e | dg g/a/g/d/ | ea a>b | g/a/g/f/ gd |
ea g>e | dB F/G/A/B/ | ce d/c/B | A2- A :|

X: 6
T: Ballydesmond Polka, The
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Edor
|: EF |\
G2 F2 | E2 D>E | F/G/A BA | d2 BA |
Be d/e/d/B/ | AF DE/F/ | GB AF | E2 :|
|: FA |\
Be ed/B/ | Ad dA | Be ef | d>c dB |
Be d/e/d/B/ | AF DE/F/ | FB AF | E2 :|

Tom Billy’s polka as played by Pádraig O’Keeffe on The Sliabh Luachra Fiddle Master sounds just like the Ballydesmond #2:
https://thesession.org/tunes/2239

Tom Billy was from Ballydesmond.

That’s because they are one in the same… Tom Billy was a big influence on many, including Pádraig O’Keeffe, and continues to be so down the line, with several tunes carrying his name, including as an alternative title, this one too…

“Pádraig O’Keeffe: The Sliabh Luachra Fiddle Master”
https://thesession.org/recordings/738
Track 16, the third tune, “Tom Billy’s Polka”, in a set of four polkas.

Unfortunately, adding the alternate title “Tom Billy’s” to the list raises the recordings list from 36 to 114, and most of those would be false readings. So, at the moment, this older alternate title for this one, honouring that early source, is not listed…

B: “Learn to Play the Tin Whistle with Armagh Pipers Club, Part 2”
Published by Armagh Pipers Club
Printed by The Appletree Press, Ltd., Belfast, 1979
Music transcriptions: Eithne Vallely
Introduction: John B. Vallely

page 12 - transcription #20: The Ballydesmond Polkas (a set of 3)

Written out as 4/4 I’ve converted the transcription to the usual 2/4…

1 ~ https://thesession.org/tunes/298
# Added by Bloomfield - September 29th, 2001

2 ~ https://thesession.org/tunes/238
# Added by Jeremy - August 16th, 2001

3 ~ you’re here already 😉
# Added by Jeremy - August 16th, 2001

~ for June… 😉

If you are looking at Foinn Seisiún this is no. 1 :http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/ballydesmond_no_1/

(repeating myself I know)

I’m pretty sure this is “Greevequilla Polka” on Tony Elman’s CD “Swinging on A Gate,” though it’s not cross-referenced as such. Here’s that tune on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izGcPiF-qCg

play video

This is the third Ballydesmond Polka which we play in a row. Using TheSession numbering system, we play number 298, then 238, and then this, 239.

This is how I learned it from Arvid Lundin, the fiddler (and fiddle maker) in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

The main editing which I contributed was the timing of the short notes. While it could be easier to learn using the general long notes (long for a polka, that is), I wanted the sheet music to closely represent how it is played.

From PV O’Donnell’s CD “Donegal Fiddler.” I’ve never heard this in D anywhere else. He pairs it with the Mexican tune “Las Perlitas Polka.”