The Bullock On The Bonnet reel

The last Fleadh I was at in Ireland was Clonmel in 1994. I recorded a ceili band playing this tune on the back of a lorry in the middle of the town. Anyone recognise it?

I learned this tune from NH box player Bob Abrams as The Cow in the Bonnet.

Interesting title. Do you know where he got that from? Pardon my Scottish ignorance, but what’s “NH”? New Hampshire, as a guess?

A google search gave me his album with a tune called The Cow *On* The Bonnet, with a possible alternative title of The Road To Cuil Aodha.

https://thesession.org/recordings/498, track 6 3rd tune, same?

I’ve accepted the 2 names given by the lads above. I see that “The Road To Cuil Aodha” is coming up on a recording by Eoin Duignan. The track listing for that CD doesn’t have any traditional tunes that I recognise the names of, and none that have been posted on this site, so it’s possible, maybe even probable, that all the tunes on that recording, including this one, were composed by Eoin Duignan.

Of course, The Cow *on* the Bonnet wouldn’t make sense to a Statesider - it would have to be The Cow on the *Hood*. The Cow *in* the Bonnet, on the other hand, makes perfect sense - at least, it did in the days when cows wore bonnets.

Now, what days were those, exactly, David? *smirk*

This is a different tune from that on the Mulcahy Family CD. I have posted the Mulcahy Family version to day. THey say Seamus Creagh at a session in Ballymakerra 12 years ago (from year 2000)

This is on the 2nd Mulcahy family CD as “Gathering Sheep”, composed by Peadar O’Riada.
It would be strange if it was on their 1st CD as well.
I’ve changed the title.

I’ve always known this tune as ‘The Cow on the Bonnet’ though for some reason I play the second part first. It is a composition of Peadar O‘Riada’s and he has a slightly different name. He should know I suppose seeing as he wrote it. On his website he calls it ’The Bullock on the Bonnet’ and relates the story behind the name:
http://www.iol.ie/~peadaroriada/Ceol/ceol_rinnce.html

transcribed from martin hayes tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzWJoiqHqIU&t=32s&ab_channel=MartinHayes

play video

This is Mulcahy family’s setting from their 2005 album, Notes From The Heart.

The “Bullock on the Bonnet” was born late one night when an ambulance delivered my friend Seamus Creagh to the door of our house where we were having a bit of a session. At the time he was a neighbour and worked with me. Seamus had been in a row with a loose bullock on the road – the animal ended on top of Seamus who was in the driving seat. While he was explaining the details of the accident, and others were suitably fussing over him, this tune came to me. I was playing the accordion at the time."
(Peadar O’Riada, taken from http://www.peadaroriada.ie/ceol-dem-chuid/the-bullock-on-the-bonnet-fling/3939/ - the link proposed by Rathawaun being obsolete)

The Mulcahys “Notes from the Heart” liner notes confirm that this (track 15) is a composition of Peadar O’Riada, but this has already been said. The music recorded in that album is actually the same as the OP’s one, though the name had been moved* (in the Mulcahys album and here by the OP) to “The gathering Sheep” instead of “Bullock on the Bonnet” which is definitely the original title for this tune.
*I write this on 2021, feb the 11th and will switch this tune to its actual name