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The Boys From Wexford march

Also known as The Boys Of Ireland, The Boys Of Wexford, Flight Of The Earls, In Comes The Captain’s Daughter, March For The Boys From Wexford, The Pick On My Shoulder, Snowy Breasted Pearl, Yn Speigh Er My Geaylin.

There are 13 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with O’Donnell Abu (a few times).

The Boys From Wexford appears in 2 other tune collections.

The Boys From Wexford has been added to 7 tune sets.

The Boys From Wexford has been added to 67 tunebooks.

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Four settings

1
X: 1
T: The Boys From Wexford
R: march
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
D2 |G3 A GF E<D | d3 e d2 c2 | B2 G2 BA GF | E4 E2 F2 |
G3 A GF E<D | d3 e d2 c2 | B2 G2 BA GF | G4 G2 ||
d2 |e2 c2 g3 e | d4 B2 d2 | c2 B2 A2 G2 | E6 F2 |
G3 A GF E<D | d3 e d2 c2 | B2 G>A BA GF | G4 G2 |]
2
X: 2
T: The Boys From Wexford
R: march
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
(3ABc |d3 e d>cB<A | a3 b a2 g2 | f2 de fe dc | Bc/B/ Bc/B/ A2 AB/c/ |
d>c de dc BA | za- ab a2 g2 | f>e de fe f^g | a6 ||
A2 |Bc/B/ G2 dc B/c/d/b/ | ab/a/ g2 fd A/B/d/a/ | ga/g/ fg/f/ ef/e/ de/d/ | B>c Bc AB/A/ AB/c/ |
d>c de dc BA | za- ab a2 g2 | f2 e2 d2 c2 | d6 |]
3
X: 3
T: The Boys From Wexford
R: march
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
D2 |G3 A GF ED | d4 d2 e2 | d2 B2 G2 A2 | E5 D2 |
G3 A GF ED | d4 d2 e2 | d2 B2 G2 A2 | G5 ||
d2 |e2 e2 c2 e2 | d4 d2 e2 | d2 B2 G2 A2 | E6 D2 |
G3 A GF ED | d4 d2 e2 | d2 B2 G2 A2 | G5 |]
4
X: 4
T: The Boys From Wexford
R: march
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
E2 | A3 B AGFE | e3 f e2 d2 | c2 A>B cBAG |
(F4 F2) G2 | A3 B AGFE | e3 f e2 d2 | c2 B2 ABcd |
e6 || e2 | f2 d2 a2 f2 | e2 d2 c2 e2 |d2 c2 B2 A2 |
(F4 F2) G2 | A3 B AGFE | e3 f e2 d2 | c2 A>B cBAG | A6 |]

Nine comments

A well known march and song. This another one that is fun playing in a couple of keys on the trot, as given - with a few variations thrown in.

Marches are great for ‘rhythmic variation’ while demanding you keep that steady march feel throughout. These were also used in the dance halls, for couple dances such as ‘The Heel and Toe’, and for the quadrilles (sets of -), …

The pookahs have been house cleaning again - - -

It seems Jeremy got in here, which usually means I wasn’t as together on my ABCs as he’d like, however, in his rephrasing the tune in the two different keys was slammed together. The (3ABc between them belongs to the second key as a ‘lead in’,in the key of ‘D’, the ‘c’ being sharp. Some folks play it in one key or the other, without doing as I like, playing the tune a few times in ‘G’ and then a few times in ‘D’ - or whatever takes my fancy at the time. Sometimes I just want to hold the one key. Anyway, I’ve made just that slight adjustment of putting the triplet back with the key it and part it belongs to.

Recorded way back when by Martin Beirne and His Irish Blackbirds as The Boys Of Ireland.

irish radio leeds

Listen in Tuesday 10pm myself will be playing some great hit of country and Irish music on Irish radio Leeds on the web I do hope you can tune into me on tTuesday Night at 10 pm .brendan gavin

The Pick On My Shoulder (Yn Speigh Er My Gealin)

This tune is almost identical to the Boys of Wexford but was collected in the 1890’s in the Isle of Man. The Manx Gaelic title is a translated version of the title given (the Pick on my Shoulder) but it’s not clear if both titles were used, perhaps with two sets of words, one in English the other in Manx.

I haven’t been able to locate the Pick on my Shoulder as a ballad from outside the Isle of Man, so if anyone comes across a ballad by that title, or containing those words, please let me know.

Like the Boys from Wexford, it isn’t actually a barndance tune and is usually played as a song air in the Island. It could equally be used/played as a march. I’ve put it on as a separate tune so it can be found using the search function and cross-referenced it with the "Boys".

I hope it gets played and enjoyed.

This is known as the Pick on my Shoulder in the Isle of Man. I have added it separately with some extra info about it.

Re: The Boys From Wexford

Song "The Snowy Breasted Pearl" has been set to this tune (X:1)

Re: The Boys From Wexford

Tune’s been a setting for the Irish song "Snowy Breasted Pearl"

The Boys From Wexford, X:4

x:4 known by the title I have added "Snowy Breasted Pearl" (with Boys of Wexford as alternative name)