John Walsh’s polka

Learned and transcribed from “Patrick Street” CD “Irish Times”. The first of three polkas which will follow soon. The booklet says it

According to Fiddler’s Companion: John Walsh is from near Kanturk, County Cork, and has composed several slides and polkas that have entered tradition. In 1999 he was described (by Jackie Daly via Paul de Grae) as being in his 60’s, and as being a nice, quiet, shy man.

This setting is transcribed from CCÉ’s CD “Foinn Seisiún” Volume 2, Track 26, where it is played with the A and B parts reversed.

There’s also a nice recording by Jackie Daly on Patrick Street’s “Irish Times”, Track 5. It’s the first tune of the “Newmarket Polkas” set, and played with the parts in the same order as transcribed here.

The Patrick Street / Jackie Daly setting is in Amaj, and is in the database as The Newmarket:
https://thesession.org/tunes/329

There are a few tunes like this where the A and B parts can be interchanged depending what session you play in - Anderson’s reel is another one that immediately comes to mind. The result of this at a session can be highly amusing as if you have a fairly even split of musicians playing together with the different interpretation of the tune in their heads, then it can go on for ages! It happened with this very polka some years ago at the Monkstown session where local musicians started with the high bit while the visitors were used to starting on the low bit. Never have I experienced a polka being played so many times! I should also say that this is a great polka and I wonder if John has composed any others.

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on April 21st 2007 by brotherstorm.

X: 1
T: John Walsh’s
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Gmaj
G>A BA | GE ED |BD ED | BD ED |
G>A BA | GE ED | BD ED | ~G3 z :|
ga/g/ fg | ag ge | dB BA | GA Bd |
ga/g/ fg | ag ge | dB AB/A/ | G2 G2 :|

Tune origin ~ Hi, I learned this polka from Nils Nolte. He refers to it as no-name polka played in a set of polkas followed by ‘Lakes of Sligo’ and ‘Captain Byng’. He seems to have learned them from Eamonn Cotter, but not sure about that.

Enjoy it, Moritz

# Posted on April 21st 2007 by brotherstorm

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on March 11th 2007 by MTGuru.

X: 1
T: John Walsh’s
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Gmaj
G>A BA | GE ED | B,D ED|B,D ED |
G>A BA | GE ED | B,D ED|G2 G2 :|
g2 gf/g/ | ag ge | dB BA|GA Bd |
g2 gf/g/ | ag ge | dB BA|G2 G2 :|

John Walsh’s Polka

According to Fiddler’s Companion: John Walsh is from near Kanturk, County Cork, and has composed several slides and polkas that have entered tradition. In 1999 he was described (by Jackie Daly via Paul de Grae) as being in his 60’s, and as being a nice, quiet, shy man.

This setting is transcribed from CCÉ’s CD “Foinn Seisiún” Volume 2, Track 26, where it is played with the A and B parts reversed.

There’s also a nice recording by Jackie Daly on Patrick Street’s “Irish Times”, Track 5. It’s the first tune of the “Newmarket Polkas” set, and played with the parts in the same order as transcribed here.

# Posted on March 11th 2007 by MTGuru

There are a few tunes like this where the A and B parts can be interchanged depending what session you play in - Anderson’s reel is another one that immediately comes to mind. The result of this at a session can be highly amusing as if you have a fairly even split of musicians playing together with the different interpretation of the tune in their heads, then it can go on for ages! It happened with this very polka some years ago at the Monkstown session where local musicians started with the high bit while the visitors were used to starting on the low bit. Never have I experienced a polka being played so many times! I should also say that this is a great polka and I wonder if John has composed any others.

# Posted on March 11th 2007 by Bannerman

X: 1134
T: The Newmarket Polka
T: John Walsh’s No. 1
T: John Walsh’s Polka
T: Walsh’s Polka
R: polka
K: A Major
|: E |
AA/B/ cB | AF FE | CE FE | CE FG |
A>B cB | AF FE | C/D/E FG | A3 :|
|: c/e/ |
ab/a/ ga | ba af | ec cB | AB c/d/e/g/ |
a2 g>a | ba a>f | ec cB | A3 :|

X: 1135 😉
T: The Newmarket Polka
T: John Walsh’s No. 1
T: John Walsh’s Polka
T: Walsh’s Polka
R: polka
K: G Major
|: D |
GG/A/ BA | GE E>D | B,D ED | B,/C/D EF |
G>A BA | GE EE/D/ | B,/C/D EF | G2 G :|
|: d |
ga/g/ fg | ag g>e | dB BA | G>A B/c/d |
ga/g/ ff/g/ | ag ge | dB BA | G2 G :|

Link to the duplication in Gmaj https://thesession.org/tunes/6923

Some bug in the old ABC renderer (The Session uses a different one nowadays, right?) has mangled the fifth measure of the A part. It’s pretty clear what’s meant, though, and the ABC confirms the guess.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egxa2Hn_rcA

play video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egxa2Hn_rcA

play video

2.) Pádraig O’Keeffe’s / John Brosnan’s Polka
Also known as John Clifford’s, Johnny O‘Leary’s, Johnny O’Leary’s #1, Johnny O‘Leary’s No 1, Johnny O’Leary’s No.1.
Submitted on August 6th 2005 by slainte.
https://thesession.org/tunes/4824

3.) ~ ??? ~ gan ainm polka
Submitted on April 11th 2009 by Bogman.
https://thesession.org/tunes/9520

What are the other two tunes? And who is playing them?

Thanks for posting these!

I like both parts but feel they’re mismatched.

I think this may be in the Comhaltas books? I got it in Boston, and sure enough Sliabh Notes seem to play it in this order too if I remember correctly. I prefer it switched, but I don’t like playing it 6 and a half times…

For some variety, try switching from octaves on the below the staff B the second or third pass through the tune in the B part. For b/c players, doing the high B on the last bded can be nice if you finish on two push b’s (middle, high) and high G.

X:1
T:John Walsh’s
T:Derrygallen Bridge
S:John F. Walsh
L:1/8
M:2/4
R:Polka
K:G
D|:G>A BA|GE ED|B,>D ED|B,D ED|
G>A BA|GE ED|B,>D ED|1G2 G2:|2G2 G||
B/d/|:g2 fg|ag g/a/g/e/|dB B/c/B/A/|G>A Bd|
g>g fg|ag g/a/g/e/|dB {c}BA|1G2 G2:|2G2 G||

AKA “The Most Popular Tune In The World” (Sliabh Luachra estimate;)

READ MORE about John under “Brogeen”

John Walsh’s No.1 aka Derrygallen Bridge
https://thesession.org/tunes/6923
John Walsh’s aka Monvara Bridge
https://thesession.org/tunes/9520
John Walsh’s aka Daly’s Mill
https://thesession.org/tunes/8918
John Walsh’s aka Goblachan
https://thesession.org/tunes/15266
John Walsh’s aka Brogeen
https://thesession.org/tunes/16020

X:1
T:John Walsh’s
T:Derrygallen Bridge
S:John F. Walsh
L:1/8
M:2/4
R:Polka
K:G
D|:G>A BA|GE ED|B,>D ED|B,D ED|
G>A BA|GE ED|B,>D ED|1G2 G2:|2G2 G||
B/d/|:g2 fg|ag g/a/g/e/|dB B/c/B/A/|G>A Bd|
g>g fg|ag g/a/g/e/|dB {c}BA|1G2 G2:|2G2 G||

AKA “The Most Popular Tune In The World” (Sliabh Luachra estimate;)

READ MORE about John under “Brogeen”

John Walsh’s No.1 aka Derrygallen Bridge
https://thesession.org/tunes/329
John Walsh’s aka Monvara Bridge
https://thesession.org/tunes/9520
John Walsh’s aka Daly’s Mill
https://thesession.org/tunes/8918
John Walsh’s aka Goblachan
https://thesession.org/tunes/15266
John Walsh’s aka Brogeen
https://thesession.org/tunes/16020

Спасибо тебе очень большое, Антон.
Go raibh míle maith agat, a Antóin! Maith an fear!

Switching A & B as in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VGwMnppEOQ with Matt Cranitch (Fiddle), Dónal Murphy (Box) & Steve Cooney (Guitar)

play video

I just heard the very fine CD from Brendan O´Regan ‘A Wind Of Change’ from 1991
and discovered that this polka wasn’t her, but this has changed now…

I think you may find that this tune is here already, under a different name, and possibly in “A” rather than “G”.

There’s also a mistake or two in the current abc’s.

First and fifth bars of the B Part, timing off.

«… you may find that this tune is here already, under a different name… »

https://thesession.org/tunes/329

I once noticed that some folks had not been able to find this tune via Tunepal (playing it in G), because it used to search & display only the top submitted versions (which by chance is in A), but I believe this problem has been solved now. Of course, it looked like more of a Tunepal issue rather than The Session’s, but the saved duplicate in the comments above might’ve been the result of that. Pretty ironic, given that it’s one of the most played Irish polkas ever – to name all of the unlikely people and situations this tune was played in would take too much space in the comments!

What this reminded me of, is the fact that I can’t recall ever playing this tune in A major in a session – maybe once somewhere in West Kerry? I guess experiences may vary, and some sessions would definitely be playing it after the recordings of Jackie Daly or Patrick Street (in A), but it’s not the “default” key to be learning it in, and I don’t think it’s that popular in Sliabh Luachra. It appears that all of John Walsh’s polkas were originally in either D or in G, but there’s a tendency to crank the G tunes a step up to make them “brighter” and more exciting. I’m also partly guilty in that sense, since I enjoy playing another fine Gan Ainm of John, known as Daly’s Mill, in both G and A. This one, however – dubbed Derrygallon Bridge by Jackie or someone else – I always play in G.

What’s the key YOU usually play this tune in? (So far we have a 9:1 G to A ratio in the submitted versions!)

=======================================

Here’s a collection of transcriptions of John’s tunes that are hopefully close to his own playing, should someone need them for their polka research or out of interest! Great simple tunes and always fun to play.

John Walsh’s (Brogeen) (Gmaj)
https://thesession.org/tunes/16020#setting30195

John Walsh’s (DAF Truck, mistitled as “Cashman’s”) (Dmaj)
https://thesession.org/tunes/17936#setting42967

John Walsh’s (Daly’s Mill) (orig. in Gmaj, also in Amaj)
https://thesession.org/tunes/8918#setting30200

John Walsh’s (Derrygallon Bridge) (orig. in Gmaj, also in Amaj)
https://thesession.org/tunes/329#setting30202

John Walsh’s (Goblachan) (Dmaj)
https://thesession.org/tunes/15266#setting28434

John Walsh’s (Monvara Bridge) (Gmaj)
https://thesession.org/tunes/9520#setting30203

Munsterman’s Rambles (Gmaj) – a polka version of a well-known jig arr. by John
https://thesession.org/tunes/15321#setting42970

Cashman’s Favourite (The Low) – NOT written by John, but arranged by him in G (Gmaj, orig. in Dmaj)
https://thesession.org/tunes/10906#setting42968