Denis Murphy’s polka

This is a tune that is played very often & most people know it.

I`ve changed it to read `hornpipe` because I have it written in 4/4 time but putting it as a polka it comes out in2/4 time.

I’ve changed it to read ‘polka’ because it is in 2/4 time.

Use |fgfededB| instead of |fgfe d3B|, makes it more lively.

I have this tune on some sheet music naming it as Sweeney’s. But I think that’s incorrect since it’s not even vaguely similar to other Polka’s of that name that I’ve found.

https://thesession.org/tunes/357

You’ll find Sweeney’s at https://thesession.org/tunes/1549. It’s notated in G but I find it sounds much brighter in A. In fact the Chieftans recorded the two polkas (Sweeney’s in A followed by Denis Murphy’s) on one of their early albums and it makes for a great combination.

I’ve come across the odd musician who played the second part of this tune as the first part.

The Elders use this tune in their song "Story of a Fish." I love it.

I’ve know this song as Teehan’s Polka. Your version is nicer, but here’s mine:
X: 1
T: Teehan’s Polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/16
R: polka
K: Cmaj
|:c4c2A2 | G2E2 c4 | E2 G2 c2 A2 |G2 E2 D2 C2|
c4c2A2 | G2E2 c4 | E2 G2 D2 E2 |D2 C2 C4:|
|:E2 G2 G2 E2| F2 A2 A2 F2 |E2 G2 G3 E| FG FE D2 C2|
E2 G2 G2 E2| F2 A2 A3 F |E2 G2 D2 E2| D2 C2 C4:|

Sounds exactly like Dennis Murphy’s to me.

X: 1
T: Dennis Murphy’s
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
fgfe d3B|A2D2F2A2|G2E2e3f|e2d2BA|
fgfed3B|A2D2F2A2|G2E2e3f|e2d2d4:|
|:A2f2fef2|B2g2gfg2|A2f2fef2|efedB2A2|
A2f2fef2|B2g2g2a2|b2a2g2c2| e2d2d2:|

Beats 3, 4 and 5 of this tune are the same as Beats 3, 4 and 5 of
The £4 cheque: https://thesession.org/tunes/786
(Planxty recorded them as a set)

another way with it ~

X: 3
T: Dennis Murphy’s
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
|: e/ |\
f/g/f/e/ d/c/d/B/ | AD F>A | GE ed | cB c/B/A |
f/g/f/e/ d/c/d/B/ | AD FA | GE e>f | ed d3/ :|
|: B/ |\
Af f/^e/f | Ag g/f/g | Af f/^e/f/d/ | e/f/e/d/ Bd/B/ |
Af f/^e/f | Ag g/f/g/a/ | ba f/g/a/f/ | ed d3/ :|

"Music From Ireland: Volume Two"
Dave Bulmer & Neil Sharpley, 1974
ISBN: 0-9503784-10
Page 19, tune #70 ~ "Sweeney’s"

with adjustments to original first and second endings, for example, from ~
[1 ed d>e :|[2 ed d>B || ~ to as given below ~

X: 4
T: Sweeney’s
B: "Music From Ireland: Volume Two", Bulmer & Sharpley, 1974, Page 19, tune #70
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: DMaj
|: e/ |\
f/g/f/e/ d/c/d/B/ | AD FA | GE e>d | cB BA |
f/g/f/e/ d/c/d/B/ | AD FA | GE e>f | ed d3/ :|
|: B/ |\
Af f/^e/f | Ag g/f/g | Af f/^e/f | e/f/e/d/ BA |
Af f/^e/f | Ag g/f/g/a/ | ba f/a/a/f/ | ed d3/ :|

In around 1958 fiddler Jackie Roche recorded this as "The Connemara Polka". He paired it with "The Munster Polka" which is well known in Scotland as "My Love She’s but a Lassie Yet".

S: “Jimmy Doyle & Dan O’Leary: Traditional Music From The Kingdom Of Kerry”
https://thesession.org/recordings/1247 ~ track 7 ~ the 2nd polka of two.

Q: 128 bpm (1 beat = three quavers/eighth notes)

I have also learned this one direct as well from other living sources and situations where the average tempos varied from 120 to 135 bpm (1 beat = three quavers/eighth notes)…

1 beat = one crotchet/quarter note

Minor point, but the correct spelling is Denis Murphy’s (https://thesession.org/tunes/357)

He was a famous Kerry fiddler:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Murphy_(Irish_musician)

Ted McGraw calls this Flaherty’s Favourite, and he got it from a Copley 78 by Martin Flaherty’s Orchestra. The B part’s 4th and 7th bars are quite distinct from the "main line" tune, but it feels like it should go here rather than as its own tune entry.