The Banks Of Newfoundland jig

I learned this tune off East Galway flute player Sean Moloney’s recent solo album. According to the sleeve notes, he learned it from his father Eddie Moloney.

It’s a fairly simple, straightforward jig, and Sean’s lovely whistle playing of the tune instantly caught my ear. I learned it yesterday and enjoy playing it on the flute.

I think I heard it somewhere before several times. Does anybody regularly play it in the local session?

I suddenly realised this jig is on Eamonn Coyne’s album: the second tune of the very first track. And some members of the local ceili band also play the tune. No wonder it sounds really familar to me.

Here’s the version learned from John Blake and Lamond Gillespie’s duet playing.

K: Gmaj
A|~B3 AGE|GBd g2e|ded B2A|BGE EGA|
BAG AGE|GBd g2e|ded B2A|BGF G2:|
A|B2g gfg|e2a aga|bge dBG|~B3 AGA|
B2g gfg|e2a aga|bge dBA|BGF G2A|
B2g gfg|e2a aga|bge dBG|~B3 AGA|
BAG AGE|GBd g2e|ded B2A|BGF G2||

They don’t mention where the tune comes from, but Dublin born banjo player Eamonn Coyne, who recorded a bit different version of the tune, cites Marcus Hernon as the source. Is it popular among some groups of musicians in London? I need to try playing it when I join a session in London again.

This seems to be quite an old tine. I have heard recordings of Irish American melodeon players from the 1920/30s playing it, but I never hear it played in sessions. Too old fashioned maybe. I like it a lot, thanks for posting the music.

This tune appears (along with a story) under the title "Eddie Moloney’s Favorite" in Séamus Connolly’s fine tune book ‘Forget Me Not’.

Here is a link to that 1920s/1930s recording.

Peter James Conlon is the named of the box player. Neat tune.

http://www.archive.org/details/Newfoundland

X:3 "Ragan’s Jig," from piper Tom Ennis, recorded November 1929: https://archive.org/details/TomEnnisRagansJigNoraGreena

Setting taught to me by Alan Kelly; pretty close to setting #1 above.