Tom Connor’s hornpipe

What a great tune! I totally suggest listening to Oisin playing this on Teada’s Teada album - absolutely gorgeous. In the meantime, play it yourself! There’s a couple mistakes that I tried to edit, but don’t seem to be correct yet…However, I’ll point them out to you so you know: first, don’t repeat the A part; second, the 5th bar should begin with a “d” whole beat, not a “G” whole beat (you can look at the ABC format for these corrections).

A couple other notes: This is NOT a REEL! It is a DOUBLE JIG, but because there is no double jig format, I placed it under the reel type (maybe we could fix that, Jeremy?). So, play it with a lilt and whatever you do - DON’T PLAY IT TOO FAST.

Also, experiment and use lots of grace notes and turns - Oisin does! For example, in the B part, try turns on the “g” notes, especially.

Have FUN! And, go buy or listen to Teada’s Teada album. I really recommend it.

I’ve never heard “double jig” refer to anything but what is usually just called a jig: 8 bars per part, 6/8 time. I can’t imagine how you are using the term. Please enlighten us.

On the Teada CD, it’s identified as a hornpipe (played straight).

Otherwise, I completely agree. Great CD and great musicians!

heike is correct - it’s a hornpipe, [ and it does say that on the sleeve notes ]. Jackie Daly recorded it years ago as “Callaghan’s” hornpipe, but there are too many “Callaghan’s” tunes already, so I’m not including it as an alternative title.

Wow - don’t know what I was thinking. Heike and Kenny - I agree…it is a hornpipe!

In response to your comment, Gary, a double jig does have the same count as a regular jig. Double jigs, however, are used for Irish set dances and are generally played at a march tempo.

Thanks for the comments!

A double jigs are just normal jigs, as opposed to single jigs which are quite uncommon. Set dances and 6/8 marches are another thing entirely. I think you might be getting your genres a bit mixed up. Not that it really matters, but have a look at this - I found it quite useful: http://www.irishtune.info/rhythm/

Here’s what I hear Oisin playing on the Teada cd:

X: 1
T: Tom Connor’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
D: Teada
K: G
dBGF GBdB|cAFA DGF/G/F/E|DGGF GBdB|c/d/c AG Agfe|
d2 cA GBdB|A/c/A FA DAFA|g2 {a}gf ecAF|A/B/A GF GABc|
c-dcA G3 B|AcFA DGFE|DGGF GBdB|B-cBc Agfe|
d2 cA G3 B|A/B/A FA DAFA|g2 {a}gf ecAF|A/B/A GF GA B/B/c||
d2 g2 dgfg|dgfg fd^cd|eaag abag|fgag fdBc|
dc{d}cA G3 B|A/c/A FA DAFA|g2 {a}gf ecAF|A/B/A GF GABc|
d~g3 dgfg|dgfg fd^cd|ea{b}ag abag|fbag fdBc|
dc{d}cA G3 B|A/c/A FA DAFA|g2 {a}gf ecAF|DGGF GABc||

He also plays the 4th bar A part as |c/d/c Bc Agfe| and does the |fbag fdBc| in the B part once, reverting to |fgag fdBc| in all other instances. And G3 B gets played more often as GBdG as the tune rolls on.

This tune appears as “O’Callaghan’s” on Peter Horan and Gerry Harrington’s duet recording. It seems named after Padraig O’Keeffee’s uncle. Oisin Mac Diarmada writes T. Connor was a Kerry fiddler, so it definitely comes from the south.

Strongly related to “The Widow Cantwell’s Fancy”, O’Neill’s Dance Music of Ireland, No.912. Also in Ceol Rince na hEireann vol.2 from Denis Murphy, and where Breathnach writes, “Connor was a fiddler from Farrankale, near Ballydesmond.”

Setting #3 is from Denis Murphy’s playing, Music from Sliabh Luachra. Lovely.

A beautiful tune I heard on the radio recently, played by Oisin Mac Diarnada on Teada. I looked on the internet for the notes with no luck. Then I found it in Fiddler Magazine, vol. 16, no. 1 (2009): “traditional Irish hornpipe transcribed by Tim McCarrick as played by Oisin Mac Diarnada on Teada.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkRMopHhOIY

play video