The Boys Of The Lough reel

I first learned this old standard by carrying most of it home in my head from a Boys of the Lough concert in Boston in 1978. Made sense at the time to learn the tune from its namesake band, and I still like their version as well as any out there.

We do this to start a set that goes into Dunmore Lasses and Peeler’s Jacket, with a governor on the whistle player so we can keep it swinging instead of rocketing through at faster-than-fiddle speed.

Here is a 96-bar ornamented version of this tune I came across a little while ago, which could be useful for set dancing.

dB|AF(3FFF AFAB|defd ~B3d|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|EDEF E2dB|
AF~F2 A2AB|defd ~B3d|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|EDEF D2dB||
AF~F2 A2AB|defd ecdB|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|EG(3FED EFGB|
AF~F2 A2AB|defd ~B3d|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|GFEG FDDg||
fg(3agf gfec|defd ecdB|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|~EDEF E2FE|
D2af gfec|decd BcdB|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|GFEG FDDg||
fgaf gfec|defd ~B3d|AF(3FFF ABde|~f2gf e2fg|
(3agf (3gfe fdec|(3dcB (3cBA BcdB|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|EGFE DEFG||
(3ABA FA A2FA|defd (3cBA Bd|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|~EDEF E2dB|
AF~F2 A2AB|defd ~B3d|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|EDEF D2dB||
AF~F2 A2AB|defd ~B3d|AF(3FFF AFDF|(3GFE (3FED CDEF|
(3ABA FA A2FA|defd (3cBA Bd|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|GFEG FDDg||
fg(3agf gfec|dB~B2 GB~B2|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|~EDEF E2FE|
D2af gfec|(3dcB (3cBA BcdB|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|GFEG FDDg||
fg(3agf gfec|defd ecdB|AF(3FFF ABde|~f2gf e2fg|
(3agf (3gfe fdec|(3dcB (3cBA BcdB|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|EA,CE DEFA||
(3ABA FA DAFA|(3ded cd B2dB|AF(3FFF AFDF|(3GFE (3FED CDEF|
(3ABA FA DAFA|defd BdcB|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|EA,CE D2dB||
AF(3FFF AFAB|defd ~B3d|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|AF(3FFF EFGB|
AF~F2 A2AB|defd BABd|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|GFEG FDDg||
fgaf gfec|defd ~BABd|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|(3GFE (3FED EGFE|
D2af gfec|~d2 ~c2 ~BABd|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|GFEG FDDg||
fgaf gfec|defd ~B3d|AF(3FFF ABde|fdgf e2fg|
(3agf (3gfe fdec|(3dcB (3cBA BcdB|AF(3FFF dF(3FFF|EDEF D2||

Well, I don’t feel like learning Trevor’s lengthy version. It seems just variations of one and the same setting.

I learned a quite simple version of the tune from Corofin flute player Mick McMester.

AF~F2 A3B|d2fd efdB|AF~F2 BFAF|EDEF E3F|
AF~F2 A3B|d2fd efdB|AF~F2 BFAF|EDEF D3z:|
faag ~f3e|d2fd efdB|AF~F2 BFAF|EDEF E3z|
faag ~f3e|d2fd efdB|AF~F2 BFAF|EDEF D3z:|

It’s a very beginner-friendly but tasty setting.

Then, I learned another nice version from the playing of Athlone-born box player Paul Brock on the first recording of the band "Moving Cloud."

A2FA DAFA|defd efdB|A2FA dBAF|EDEF E3F|
A2FA DAFA|defd efdB|A2FA dBAF|EDEF D3z:|
f2ag fgfe|defd efdB|A2FA dBAF|EDEF E3z|
f2ag fgfe|defd efdB|A2FA dBAF|EDEF D3z:|

The first part is a little bit similar to that of "The Tinker’s Daughter." This one is particularly easy and fun to play on flute, but I’m not sure if it’s a common session setting.

The setting that gets played in our session has a second ending on the B-part, which I assumed was standard until I saw the comments here. This is roughly what I play:

|:AF~F2 A2AB|d2fd efdB|AF~F2 dFAF|~E3F ~E3G|
AF~F2 A2AB|d2fd efdB|AF~F2 dFAF|1 ~E3F D3F:|2 ~E3F D3A||
dfaf gfef|d2fd efdB|AF~F2 dFAF|~E3F ~E3g|
fgaf gfef|d2fd efdB|AF~F2 dFAF|~E3F D3A|
dfaf gfef|d2fd efdB|AF~F2 ABde|fdgf e2fg|
afge fdec|d2fd efdB|AF~F2 dFAF|~E3F D3F||

I think I was wrong, and Dow is right. "Moving Cloud" also have a different ending on the second part: it’s something like |(3agf (3gfe (3fed (3edc|d2fd efdB|A2FA dBAF|EDEF D3||
I’m bad at triplets, so would rather simply play |azge fdec|d2fd efdB|A2FA dBAF|EDEF D3||

Here’s the nearest I can figure on the Ed Reavy version recorded circa 1930, which I got off the "Farewell to Ireland" box set. This is the first tune on disc 3, track 10 though it’s listed as the second tune following "Tom Clarke’s Fancy" (which, I’ve learned, is a version of "The Green Fields of Rossbeigh"). Hmm. Anyway:

X:1
T: The Boys at the Lough
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:D
S: from the playing of Ed Reavy
dB |: AF ~F2 AFAB | defd {c}BABc | AF ~F2 dFcF | EDEF E2 dB|
AF ~F2 AFAB | defd ecdB | AF (3FFF dFcF |1 EDEF D2 dB :|2 GFEG FD Ag |
|: fg (3agf gfec | defd ec{e}dB | AF ~F2 dFcF | EDEF EGFE |
A2 af gfec | decd BcdB | AF (3FFF dFcF |1 GFEG FDAg :|2 GFEG F D3 |

Can’t tell if those F’s are rolled or triplets. Well, actually, sometimes they’re clearly triplets but I can’t play bowed triplets all that well so I indicate them as rolled the first time through, and triplets the second time. Hey, gotta have something to strive for.

didn’t Molloy put another bit into it second time round, i did learn it but it’s gone now, anyone care to remind me…

From what I can tell, Trevor’s setting above is a transcription of Michael Coleman’s recording.

X:6 from the piping of Leo Rowsome: https://archive.org/details/LeoRowsomeTheBoysoftheLoughTheGreenMountain This is far removed from the usual Coleman-ish setting.

Any one know where to get The Boys of The Loughs version of this tune

Track #1 : https://thesession.org/recordings/1212

Anyone able to add the Cooley version of this?

Lovely flute version by the late Peg McGrath [ RIP ] :

https://youtu.be/OKjZF5gidN0

play video