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The Bank Of Ireland reel

Also known as The Banks Of Ireland, Follow Me Down To Carlow, Robbery With Violins.

There are 59 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with The Woman Of The House (lots of times), The Dairy Maid (a few times), The Morning Dew (a few times), The Ballinamore (a few times) and The Old Torn Petticoat (a few times).

The Bank Of Ireland has been added to 31 tune sets.

The Bank Of Ireland has been added to 567 tunebooks.

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Four settings

X: 1
T: The Bank Of Ireland
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
ed|c2AB cABG|EGDG EGAB|c2AB cABG|Add^c dfed|
c2AB cABG|EGDG EGAB|c2AB cABG|Add^c d2|
K:D
e|f2df e3 c|dfed cAAg|fedf e2fg|afge d2cd|
eaag egfe|dfed cAGB|Addc defg|af (3gfe d2|
X: 2
T: The Bank Of Ireland
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
ed|cA~A2 cAAG|EGDG EGD2|cA~A2 cABG|Add^c dfed|
c2AB cAAG|EGDG EGD2|cA~A2 cABG|Add^c d2de||
~f2fd ~e2e^c|dfed ^cAag|~f2fd efge|age^c d2cd|
eaag efge|dfed ^cAG2|Add^c defg|afge d2|]
X: 3
T: The Bank Of Ireland
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
|:cAAB cAAG|EGDG EGDB|cAAB cAAG|Addc d2ed:|
f2fd e2ec|d2ed cAAg|f2fd e2ec|cABc d2d2|
faa2 faa2|d2ed cAAG|Addc defg|afge d2|]
X: 4
T: The Bank Of Ireland
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
AB|c2AB cABG|EGDG EGAB|cAAB cABG|Add^c dfed|
c2AB cABG|EGDG EGAB|c2AB cABG|Add^c d2||
K:D
|f3d e3c|dfed cA A2|f3d ed (3Bcd|afge d2 (3Bcd|
eaag efge|dfed cAGB|Addc d3c|Adde fded||
# Added by JACKB .

Fifteen comments

John, do you play this one as a single reel, or a common reel? This is a favorite tune — I don’t really know why.

Zina

Single reel vs. common reel

Greetings,

I’m afraid I’m a bit thick on these terms. What is the difference between a single reel and a common reel?

John Harvey
Rhodeirish.net

Bank of Ireland - Single or Double?

This is often played as a single reel (without the repeats) but I prefer it played double, particularly after hearing the superb version of the tune played by the late great Clare fiddler, Bobby Casey. Bobby follows it with The Woman of the House which makes for a great pair of reels.

Don’t know if this is the recording you heard, Bannerman, but on "Paddy in the Smoke", Bobby Casey plays "Bank of Ireland" followed by "The Woman of the House" followed by "Morning Dew" (one of my favorite tunes). It is a fabulous set - the whole album is a fabulous. Definitely one to learn.

Try playing this tune after Spike Island Lasses and keeping them straight. NOt easy.

Good tune though,

Where did the name come from?

Does anyone know what the origin of the name Bank of Ireland comes from? Is it the bank as in money or is it the bank of a stream?

Name

I think it’s a bank as in money, but I’m not certain.

Given the fine Bank of Ireland building on College Green, Dublin, (many here will know it) that used to be the Irish Parliament until that voted itself out of existence, I think it’s a safe bet that that is what the tune is named after.

As Jackie Daly has been saying for a few years now, The Bank of Ireland doesn’t have as many notes as it used to.

Nice to play C#s as in O’Neils

The Bank Of Ireland

Only one setting?? #2 is from the flute playing of Paddy Carty.

Follow me down to Carlow

This was transcribed from a fiddle manuscript written by Francis Reynolds of Gaigue, Ballinamuck. Co. Longford c.1885. He entitles it "Follow me down to Carlow".

I don’t think it’s “Follow me down to Carlow”

I just listened to every tune on Spotify called "Follow Me Down To Carlow" and none of them were this tune. So maybe that was a mistake on old Francis’s part?