Johnny Boyle’s jig

Here’s a rare beast, indeed - a flute -friendly Donegal fiddle-tune. From a TV recording I have of "The Boys Of The Lough", although I don’t think they, [ or anyone else I know of have], ever recorded it. I assume the Jimmy Boyle in question is a Donegal fiddler, and not the Scottish one, but who knows…….

The Boys of the Lough did indeed record this pleasant little jig on their Carnegie Hall live album (which I would post in the recordings section if I had it in front of me). On that album they call this tune "Donegal No. 1." Can you guess the name of the jig that follows it? You got it, "Donegal No. 2." In any event, it’s nice to have a name for this tune.

I’ve heard this tune lots of times before played in local sessions but could never find a name for it despite searching all over the net. Thanks Kenny!

I’m sure the "Boys of The Lough" had this as "Jimmy", but "The Fiddler’s Companion", and another website has it as by Johnny Boyle. I’m convinced that’s more likely, so have changed the title.
Paul McGrattan reckons this is a Donegal slide.[ Discussed elsewhere ].

Yeah, it works better as a slide, I think.

I agree……

X: 2
T: Johnny Boyle’s
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
|: dd/e/f |\
g2 f efg | d2 B BAB | c2 A AGA | B2 G G2 f |
g2 f efg | d2 B BAB | c2 a agf | g3 :|
|: g2 a |\
b2 g gfg | b2 g gfg | a2 f fef | a2 f d2 a |
b2 g gfg | b2 g gfg | e2 a agf | g3 :|

# Posted on April 7th 2008 by spindizzy

On James Byrne’s "Road to Glenlough" album this is named after his father - from whom he learnt the tune. Rhythm resembles a slide. There are a few John Byrne jigs and Johnny Boyle jigs floating around. I think Johnny Boyle was a local fiddler who was one of James Byrne’s early influences.

Ediot has posted a setting which he learned from John Carty. Carty himself said, "We got [this tune] from West Limerick box player Dan Brouder." I have also come across the tune as "Con Cassidy’s Jig (2)".

Learned this tune from the Edel Fox concertina tutorials on Online Academy of Irish Music (oaim.ie).
I couldn’t find it by this name on thesession, or by searching the web by title or abc. Edel plays it in a set with Con Cassidy’s slide.

Other resources for this tune a)simple mp3, b) annotated sheet music, c) midi, d) myr (editable/playable sheet music) have been uploaded to www.tradirishmusic.net

I posted this here 12 years ago :

https://thesession.org/tunes/3382

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdfcrLNoYvs

play video

first tune in the set ……..
marin

Thanks for spotting it Kenny, Edel Fox refers to it as a slide. At least now I have the other names for this tune.

I just found this on the Killarney School of Music website.

I put it into a set(of slides): Get up Old Woman and Shake Yourself ->Denis Murphy’s Slide -> Johnny Boyle’s. I’m not a huge fan of the middle tune, but it adds good contrast to the other two strong melodic tunes.

This tune feels to me like it wants to end a set.