The Lilting Fisherman reel

I learned this from the playing of Eileen Ivers. A simple, straightforward melody that doesn’t need much embellishment beyond the rolls on those long g’s and a’s in the second half. I like to play this before Maids of Feakle, but it works well in front of any reel in G.

If your fingers wear out on the rolls, switch to triplets, but go lightly.

This is my version based on the flute playing of Scottish piper Finaly MacDonald.

|:GE E2 GAcd|edcB cA A2|GE E2 GAcd|1 edcB c3 A:|2 edcB c3 d||
|eg g2 agea|gede cA A2|eg g2 ea a2|gabg a3 g|
|eg g2 agea|gede cA A2|GE E2 GAcd|edcB c3 A||

The B-part gets repeated in our session.

Dow, you’re right. The second part is usually repeated. Here’s the version I play now:

K: Cmaj
G3 E GAcd | edcB cA A2 | GE ~E2 GAcd |1. edcB c3 A:|2. edcB c3 d ||
eg ~g2 ea ~a2 | gede cA A2 | eg ~g2 ea ~a2 | gabg a3 g|
eg ~g2 agea | gede cA A2 | GE ~E2 GAcd |1. edcB c3 d:|2. edcB c3 A ||

This comes from a banjo player in Yorkshire. One of many great tunes we enjoyed playing together there. Well, he’s much better than I.

This is one of a very few C major tunes we can play on keyless flute. Bothy Band play it in both C and D. The first part is a little bit similar to that of a Shetland reel “Oot Be Est Da Vong,” which is in D.

Key signature: D Major
Submitted on October 21st 2005 by unseen122.
https://thesession.org/tunes/5110

In O’Neill’s from Patsy Touhey, “Cunningham’s Fancy.” Touhey recorded it announced as “Halligan’s Fancy,” perhaps he’d change the name for each customer buying his homemade cylinder recordings.
Was suprised to find out that this is the same melody as the Banks of Inverness, the first two parts of the Siege of Ennis (from Roche’s collection), the tunes of the songs Paddy Doyle/Doran’s Ass/Mo Ghile Mear. The jig Port tsean-Sean (Old John’s) is the same in 6/8. Kerryman’s Daughter was Coleman’s title.

There’s a missing bar line between the fifth and sixth measure in this version of the ABC, if I’m not mistaken. This should fix it:

K: Cmaj
cA|G~E3 GAcd|egdB cAAc|G~E3 GAcd|egdB c2 cA|
|G~E3 GAcd|egdB cAAc|G~E3 GAcd|egdB c3 d|
|e~g3 e~a3|gedB cAAc|e~g3 e~a3|gabg a2 ag|
|e~g3 e~a3|gedB cAAc|G~E3 GAcd|egdB c2 cA|

James Morrison recorded a strange version of this which puts the 1st part in a different key altogether.

X: 1
T: Kerryman’s Daughter, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
DE|G2~G2 G2Bd|egdB cABA|GE~E2 G2Bd|gedB cABA|
GBAF G2Bd|egdB cABA|GE~E2 G2Bd|gedB ~c3d||
eg~g2 ~a3e|gedB cAA2|eg~g2 eaab|(3c’ba b^g aba=g|
eg~g2 eaaf|gedB cABA|GE~E2 G2Bd|egdB ~c3d|
eg~g2 ~a3e|gedB cAA2|eg~g2 eaab|(3c’ba b^g abab|
c’aba agef|gedB cABA|GE~E2 G2Bd|egdB cABA||

BTW it was entitled “Fisherman’s Lilt” on that recording

is “Cunningham’s Fancy” as printed in O’Neill’s. I’ve added this setting because I particularly like these phrases going up to the 3rd c, and I think it has some nice variations overall.

I’ve changed their quirky roll-notation to a tilde, but apart from that it’s true to original.

“The Siege Of Ennis”
# Added by Nutty Nessie - May 5th, 2003
https://thesession.org/tunes/1640

“Salmon Tails Up The Water”
# Added by Grack - April 27th, 2004
https://thesession.org/tunes/2903

“The Croppies’ March”
# Added by ceolachan - July 25th, 2005
https://thesession.org/tunes/4774

“The Banks Of Inverness”
# Added by Ptarmigan - October 26th, 2005
https://thesession.org/tunes/5119

Here’s a tutorial for playing this on the mandolin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZF0SIlmKms

play video

Source: Edel Fox
Transcription: Gian Marco Pietrasanta
Note: An unusual ending measure

Nice rendition at 1:08
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZGWs8bzd28

play video

Here’s a quick blast of The Lilting Fisherman on mandolin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvuw3tmLdHU

play video

Nice for practising G# on the tin whistle