Eleanor Kane’s reel

By Ed Reavy

Also known as The Boys Of Laoise.

There are 18 recordings of this tune.

Eleanor Kane’s appears in 2 other tune collections.

Eleanor Kane’s has been added to 3 tune sets.

Eleanor Kane’s has been added to 35 tunebooks.

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Two settings

1
X: 1
T: Eleanor Kane's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
GFGA B2 GA|Bgfg edBA|GFGA B2 EF|GEFD EDB,D|
GFGA BAGA|Bgfg efga|bgaf gafg|ecAF GFGA|
BGFG EFGA|Bgfg edBA|GFGA B2 EF|GEFD EDB,D|
GFGA B2 GA|Bgfg efga|bgaf gafg|ecAF G2 GA|
|:Bdef gfga|bgaf gfed|BGEF GFGA|Bdd^c d2 ef|
g2 af gedc|B2 Ac BGEF|GABG FGAc|1 BGAF GFGA:|2 BGAF G4||
2
X: 2
T: Eleanor Kane's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:A|BGFG EFGA|Bg ~g2 edBA|~G3 A BGEF|(G/F/E {F}ED) EDB,D|
~G3 A BABc|dg ~g2 efga|bg ~g2 agfg|1 ecAF GF G:|2 ecAF G3||
|:A|Bdef ~g3 a|bgfg edBA|BE{F}ED EFGA|B/c/d ^ce d2 ef|
g2 g/g/f gfed|B/d/B Ac BGEF|G2 BG FGAc|1 BGAF GF G:|2 BGAF G3||

Eleven comments

Eleanor Kane’s

I only recently discovered that this is an Ed Reavy composition, and although not as often played as some, I think it’s a good one. I first heard it played on whistle on Seamus Tansey’s “green” album, where it’s called “The Boys Of Laois”. I think it was also recorded by the McGuire brothers, Seamus and Manus.

Repeat

The repeat mark at the end:
Does it send you back to the beginning as written or should there be a mark to show the last 8 bars as a separate B section and just repeat that. The A section obviously has it’s own built in repeats.

Edited

Sorry for the ambiguity, donough. 1st part is the top 4 lines of music - 16 bars played through once . 2nd part is the bottom 2 lines played twice. So, as you say, there should be a repeat mark at the beginning of the 5th line.
I’ve edited the abc notation.

Eleanor Kane’s / Boys of Laois “contour”

notice here how 2 consecutive notes are always different and only a second or third appart. (Say; if you play A , then B or C follow (goin’ up) or G or F (going down)
A bit too predictable to my taste (it’s a common feature of hornpipes, actually, and why I find most of them…mm.. boring)
Does anyone know if this has to do with the time and/or place this type of tune was written in?

While this tune is quite similar to some others I like it. Though certainly, for Reavy’s standards, this would not be the best example.

Nice setting by Eddie Kelly

Found an archive recording of Eddie Kelly playing it thus:

X:1
T:Eleanor Kane’s
C:Ed Reavy
M:4/4
L:1/8
R:reel
K:G
|: A | BGFG EFGA | Bg ~g2 edBA | ~G3 A BGEF |
(G/F/E {F}ED) EDB,D | ~G3 A BABc | dg ~g2 efga |
bg ~g2 agfg |1 ecAF GF G :|2 ecAF G3 ||: A | Bdef ~g3 a |
bgfg edBA | BE{F}ED EFGA | B/c/d ^ce d2 ef | g2 g/g/f gfed |
B/d/B Ac BGEF | G2 BG FGAc |1 BGAF GF G :|2 BGAF G3 |

Enjoy!

Re: Eleanor Kane’s

Is this what you mean ? :

“To destroy something means to cause so much damage to it that it is completely ruined or does not exist any more”. [ Definition Collins English Dictionary ]

Re: Eleanor Kane’s

I should point out - some 17 years later - that on the recording the transcription was made from, this tune is played on tin whistle by Eddie Corcoran, with Seamus Tansey accompanying him on “tambourine”.