back menu
Log in or Sign up

The Hills Of Tara barndance

Also known as Fred Pidgeon’s No. 1, If There Were No Men, If There Weren’t Any Men, If There Weren’t Any Men In The World, Pearl O’Shaughnessy’s, Scotch Polka.

There are 13 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The Hills Of Tara appears in 1 other tune collection.

The Hills Of Tara has been added to 14 tune sets.

The Hills Of Tara has been added to 134 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Ten settings

1
X: 1
T: The Hills Of Tara
R: barndance
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
Bc|d2 G2 GB AB|c2 E2 E2 AG|FGAB cBcd|e2 d2 B3c|
d2 G2 GB AB|c2 E2 E2 AG|FGAB cADF|A2 G2 G2:|
|:Bd|g4 f3d|efed A2 AG|FGAB cBcd|e2 d2 B3d|
g4 f3d|efed A2 AG|FGAB cADF|A2 G2 G2:|
2
X: 2
T: The Hills Of Tara
R: barndance
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
Bc|d2 G2 GB AB|c2 E2 E2 AG|FGAB cBcd|e2 d2 B3c|
d2 G2 GB AB|c2 E2 E2 AG|FGAB cADF|A2 G2 G2:|
|:Bd|g4 f3d|efed A2 AG|FGAB cBcd|e2 d2 B3d|
g4 f3d|efed A2 AG|FGAB cADF|A2 G2 G2:|
3
X: 3
T: The Hills Of Tara
R: barndance
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:B>c|d2 G2 G>A (3BAG|c2 E2 E2 A>G|F>GA>B c>Bc>d|(3efe d2 B>AB>c|
d2 G2- G>AB>G|c2 E2 E2 A>G|F>GA>B c>AF>G|(3ABA G2 G2:|
|:(3Bcd|g4 f4|e>fe>d A2- A>G|F>GA>B c>Bc>d|(3efe d2 B>A (Bcd|
g2 G2 f>F (3FFF|e>fe>d A2- A>G|F>GA>B c>A (3DEF|A2 G2 G2:|
4
X: 4
T: The Hills Of Tara
R: barndance
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:(3ABc|d2 G2- G>A (3BAG|c2 E2 E2 A>G|F2 (3GAB c2 (3Bcd|e>G^c>e d>G (3AB=c|
d2 G2 D>BA>B|c2 E2 E2- E>G|F>GA>B c>DF>G|(3ABA G>F G2:|
|:B>d|g>G (3GGG f>F (3FFF|e>fe>d A2 (3BAG|F2 (3GAB c2 (3Bcd|e>G^c>e d>GB>d|
g2 G2 f2 F2|e2 (3fed A2- A>G|F>GA>B c2 (3DEF|A2 D2 G2:|
5
X: 5
T: The Hills Of Tara
R: barndance
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
Bc|:d2G2 GBAB|c2E2 A2AG|FGAB cBcd|e2d2 ~B3c|
d2G2 GBAB|c2E2 A2AG|FGAB cADF|A2G2 G2:|
(3Bcd|:g2ge ~f3d|efec A2AG|FGAB cBcd|e2d2 B2(3Bcd|
g2ge ~f3d|efec A2AG|FGAB cADF|A2G2 G2:|
6
X: 6
T: The Hills Of Tara
R: barndance
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:B>c|d2 G2 G>A (3BAG|c2 E2 E2 A>G|F>GA>B c>Bc>d|(3efe d2 B^>AB>c|
d2 G2 G>A (3BAG|c2 E2 E2- E>G|F>GA>B c>AF>G|(3ABA G2 G2:|
|:(3Bcd|g2 g2 f2 f2|e>fe>d A2 A>G|F>GA>B c>Bc>d|(3efe d2 B^>AB>c|
g>G (3GGG f>F (3FFF|e2 (3fed A2- A>G|F>GA>B c>AF>G|(3ABA G2 G2:|
7
X: 7
T: The Hills Of Tara
R: barndance
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:Bc|[d2D2] G2 G2 AB|c2 E2 E2 G2|FGAB c2 A/c/A|e2 d2 dcBc|
d2 G2 G2 AB|c2 E2 E2 G2|FGAB c2 A2|1 A/c/A G2 A2:|2 A/c/A G2 G3||
|:f|g2 gg g2 bg|f2 e2 e2 AB|c2 c2 c/e/c Bc|e2 d2 dcBc|
g2 gg g2 bg|f2 e2 e2 A2|FGAB c2 A2|1 A/c/A G2 G3:|2 A/c/A G2 G2||
8
X: 8
T: The Hills Of Tara
R: barndance
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
M:2/4
|:B/c/|dG GA/B/|cE EA/G/|F/G/A/B/ c/B/A/c/|ed d/c/B/c/|
dG GA/B/|cE EA/G/|F/G/A/B/ c/A/F/G/|AG G:|
|:B/d/|gg ga/g/|fe e>G|cc c/B/A/c/|ed d>f|
gg ga/g/|fe e>G|F/G/A/B/ cA/F/|AG G:|
9
X: 9
T: The Hills Of Tara
R: barndance
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:Bc|d2 G2 G2 AB|c2 E2 E2 AG|FGAB cBAc|e2 d2 dcBc|
d2 G2 G3 B|c2 E2 E3 G|F2 G/A/B cAFG|A2 G2 G2:|
|:d/e/f|g2 g2 g2 ag|f2 e2 e2 EG|F2 c2 cB A/B/c|e2 d2 d3 f|
g2 g2 g3 g|f2 e2 e3 G|FGAB cDEF|A2 G2 G2:|
10
X: 10
T: The Hills Of Tara
R: barndance
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
Bc|:d2G2G2 A>B|c2E2E2 A>G|F>GA>B c>Bc>d|e2d2d2 B>c|
d2G2G2 A>B|c2E2E2 A>G|F>GA>B c>AF>G|A2G2G2:|
|:Bd|g2g2f2f2|e>fe>c A2 A>G|F>GA>B c>Bc>d|e2d2d2 B>d|
g2g2f2f2|e>fe>c A2 A>G|F>GA>B c>AF>G|A2G2G2:|

Twenty-two comments

Thanks Gian, another great little tune - I don’t know why but most barn dances always seem to have good melody lines.

The Hills Of Tara (barndance)

there is a little mistake in the 2nd and 6th bar of the B part. (sorry)
This is the correct version:
Bc|d2 G2 GB AB|c2 E2 E2 AG|FGAB cBcd|e2 d2 B3c|
d2 G2 GB AB|c2 E2 E2 AG|FGAB cADF|A2 G2 G2 :|
|:Bd|g4 f3d|efed A2 AG|FGAB cBcd|e2 d2 B3d|
g4 f3d|efed A2 AG|FGAB cADF|A2 G2 G2 :|

The Hills Of Tara (barndance)

mmmmm….I prefer the “wrong” version…

Reminds me of……

one by Ed Reavy, “The Dances at Kinvarra”

The Hills of Tara

What, no sound file??? No midi??? I’m terrible at notes, need to hear it, and by following
the tune along w/ the notation, it will help this “newbie” to learn how to read.

The Hills of Tara

This tune is also on Eoghan O’Sullivan, Gerry Harrington, and Paul De Grae’s trio album “The Smoky Chimney.” They call it Pearl O’Shaughnessy’s. I think she’s a Scottish-born fiddler and Paul O’Shaughnessy’s mother.

Another Pearl Shaughnessy’s Barndance

I have just posted another tune called Pearl Shaughnessy’s Barndance - it is slightly similar ti this one but my version has four parts and is in D, and I think it is a completely different tune. I heard it on a Paul McGratten and Paul Shaughnessy album, (album title I just can’t remember), but do remember reading that Paul Shaughnessy got the tune from his mother Pearl. I first learnt it as Con Cassidy’s Barndance many moons ago, and got it from my late friend Simon Knight, accordion player, from Wells, Somerset.

The notes of O’Sullivan, Harrington, and De Grae’s trio recording “The Smoky Chimney” say the four-part version of the tune is often played as two separate barndances in Donegal.

“If There Weren’t Any Women In The World” ~ barndances often swung as a set

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on January 26th 2003 by glauber.
https://thesession.org/tunes/1376

“ The Hills of Tara“ ~ barndance

X: 2
T: Hills Of Tara, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance
K: Gmaj
|: B>c \|
d2 G2 G>A (3BAG | c2 E2 E2 A>G | F>GA>B c>Bc>d | (3efe d2 B>AB>c |
d2 G2- G>AB>G | c2 E2 E2 A>G | F>GA>B c>AF>G | (3ABA G2 G2 :|
|: (3Bcd |\
g4 f4 | e>fe>d A2- A>G | F>GA>B c>Bc>d | (3efe d2 B>A (Bcd |
g2 G2 f>F (3FFF | e>fe>d A2- A>G | F>GA>B c>A (3DEF | A2 G2 G2 :|

Oops! ~ lack of sleep and dyslexic tranmutation of the | & \

Thanks for the head up muspic, assuming this is the ‘slip in standards’ you referred to… 😉

It seems I screwed up, nothing new there. I’ve been teaching this one lately in a set of three. As I’m repeating the one just above, I’ll add some other possibilities ~

Here’s that previous mistake ~ |: B>c \| ~ which should have read |: B>c |\ 😏

X: 22
T: Hills Of Tara, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance
K: Gmaj
|: (3ABc |\
d2 G2- G>A (3BAG | c2 E2 E2 A>G | F2 (3GAB c2 (3Bcd | e>G^c>e d>G (3ABc |
d2 G2 D>B>A>B | c2 E2 E2- E>G | F>GA>B c>DF>G | (3ABA G>F G2 :|
|: B>d |\
g>G (3GGG f>F (3FFF | e>fe>d A2 (3BAG | F2 (3GAB c2 (3Bcd | e>G^c>e d>GB>d |
g2 G2 f2 F2 | e2 (3fed A2- A>G | F>GA>B c2 (3DEF | A2 D2 G2 :|

~ transmutation ~ Ooo-ooO… 😎

Wow! I must be tired, check out that bar, the 5th of the A-part. That shouldn’t read ~ d2 G2 D>B>A>B | ~ but should instead have been ~ d2 G2 D>BA>B | ~ I promise, I’ll have to start considering taking old man naps in the middle of the day…

Enough messing about with notes, I’m going for a long soak, having just returned from a night of music and being pickled in the smoke of the publican, a dear man who in our current cold wet weather doesn’t have an outside place to exercise his addiction… Cough, cough… 😲

I play the tune something like this…

Bc|:d2G2 GBAB|c2E2 A2AG|FGAB cBcd|e2d2 ~B3c|
|d2G2 GBAB|c2E2 A2AG|FGAB cADF|A2G2 G2:|
(3Bcd|:g2ge ~f3d|efec A2AG|FGAB cBcd|e2d2 B2(3Bcd|
|g2ge ~f3d|efec A2AG|FGAB cADF|A2G2 G2:|

Personally, I like that c in the B part more…
I like doing a variation on the B part kind of like this:
gBdg fBdf|efec A2AG|…

“The Hills of Tara” ~ taking it more simply

The following is closer to how I usually pass this on to others, with more ‘agreement’ between the bars, as with the closing of both parts, bars 7 & 8:

X: 4
T: Hills Of Tara, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance
K: Gmaj
|: B>c |\
d2 G2 G>A (3BAG | c2 E2 E2 A>G | F>GA>B c>Bc>d | (3efe d2 B^>AB>c |
d2 G2 G>A (3BAG | c2 E2 E2- E>G | F>GA>B c>AF>G | (3ABA G2 G2 :|
|: (3Bcd |\
g2 g2 f2 f2 | e>fe>d A2 A>G | F>GA>B c>Bc>d | (3efe d2 B^>AB>c |
g>G (3GGG f>F (3FFF | e2 (3fed A2- A>G | F>GA>B c>AF>G | (3ABA G2 G2 :|

I’ve also noticed another mistake in the variant rich version given before this ~ bars 4 & 5 of the A-part ~ 😏

~ | e>G^c>e d>G (3AB=c | (missing the change to natural / =)
d2 G2 D>BA>B | ~ (removing that extra > that was in the middle)

“The Hills of Tara” ~ rescued duplication submitted as “Scotch Polka”

Submitted on July 30th 2012 by Innocent Bystander.
~ /tunes/12094

X: 5
T: Hills of Tara, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|: Bc |\
[d2D2] G2 G2 AB | c2 E2 E2 G2 | FGAB c2 (3AcA | e2 d2 dcBc |
d2 G2 G2 AB | c2 E2 E2 G2 | FGAB c2 A2 |[1 (3AcA G2 A2 :|[2 (3AcA G2 G3 ||
|: f |\
g2 gg g2 bg | f2 e2 e2 AB | c2 c2 (3cec Bc | e2 d2 dcBc |
g2 gg g2 bg | f2 e2 e2 A2 | FGAB c2 A2 |[1 (3AcA G2 G3 :|[2 (3AcA G2 G2 |]

Scotch Polka ~ I was passed this tune in the course of teaching a group of people a Morris Dance, called “Tinner’s Rabbits”. It’s English (sorry!), and the composer is “Bob Cann”. The dance is for three groups of three, with staves.

# Posted on July 30th 2012 by Innocent Bystander

Innocent Bystander’s original submission, for which it took my addled brain a moment to recognize ~

K: Gmaj
|:[d2D2]G2G2AB|c2E2E2G2|FG ABc2 (3AcA)|e2d2dc Bc|
d2G2G2AB|c2E2E2G2|FG ABc2 A2|1(3AcA)G2A2Bc:|2(3AcA)G2G3f|]
|:g2ggg2bg|f2e2e2AB|c2c2(3cec)Bc|e2d2dc Bc|
g2ggg2bg|f2e2e2A2|FG ABc2A2|1(3AcAG2G3f:|(3AcA)G2G2Bc|]

The ‘dance’ mentioned by ‘Innocent Bystander’ might be of Bob Cann origin, but the tune isn’t…

Hills of Tara. aka Scotch Polka

Scotch Polka is the tune used for the Morris dance Tinner’s Rabbits as noted by Innocent Bystander. When learning the tune recently for the dance I found it as Fred Pidgeon’s No.2. He was a fiddler from E. Devon and he called it ‘Scotch Polka’ - I was playing “Hills of Tara” today and realized it was the same tune.

Posted by .