The Highlandman Who Kissed His Granny reel

Originally Scottish, and I believe was brought to Ireland through Donegal. Recorded on an early “Boys Of The Lough” LP, and also played by “Altan”. Not sure if they ever recorded it though. Glasgow band “Pipedown” recorded a great version, using Highland pipes.

I think I heard this tune as “The Highlandman Kissed His Mother.”

John Bowe calls this ‘the Pensioner who kissed his Granny’ on his LP.

Kenny, Altan recorded it on their eponymous album, first tune, as “The Highlandman” - https://thesession.org/tunes/2847

In the album “Like A Wild Thing”, this reel is called “Mother’s Reel”

X: 1
T: The Fairy Hurlers
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ador
N: Version from Emer Mayock’s “Merry Bits of Timber”
cggf g2AB|cgge dBGB|cggf g2fg|afge dBGB|
cggf g2AB|cgge dBGB|cggf g2fg|afge dBGB|
cdec A3B|cA~A2 dB~B2|cdec ABce|a2ge dBGB|
cdec ABce|ABce dBGB|cdec ABce|a2ge dBGB|]

Dear All,
Recorded as “Dawe’s Favourite” on “A Flick Of The Wrist” by Brendan Larrissey:
https://thesession.org/recordings/2199
Closer to a more melancholic version, I used to record in a session quite a long time ago.
Should I edit the tune to add that title?
And if yes, how make the right link to this url on the recording?
Cheers,
Francois.

Yes, edit the details. It will be recognized by the according entry of the recording automatically then.

I’d say , no, don’t add that title, because I’d bet good money that the reason Brendan Larrissey called it “Dawe’s” is that he learned the tune from Austin Dawe, another fine fiddler, I believe from the same neck of the woods in Ireland as Brendan himself. This is probably the only single instance of the tune being given that title. It’s been known as “The Highlandman Kissed His Granny” [ or variations thereof ] for well over 150 years, and appears in books of Scottish music from around the mid 1800s. It doesn’t need another name.

“It doesn’t need another name”

And yet it’s been given one. Simply adding “Dawe’s Favourite” to the list of alternate titles will link the entry in the recording section to this tune. I can’t see what the problem is. In fact, I’ve just done it.

More like 250 years, it’s in Robert Bremner’s Reels, c. 1760.
There are also many more titles, e.g. O‘Neill has it as ’The Jolly Seven’.

It seems like it may have become the original Ryan’s Rant when it travelled to Ireland - there is a setting here from 1826 which is seemingly the same tune. It then appears to reference the Gravel Walks in a later setting…

https://www.tunearch.org/wiki/Ryan’s_Rant

From Kerr’s Merry Melodies volume 1 and listed as “The Highlandman Who Kissed His Mother”, it’s written in C Major though, not ADor, my mistake!

Actually this is “Jackie Stewart”s Reel from the Winder manuscripts. A version of the Heilanman who kissed/killed his Mother.
Www.Andy Hornby.net/Winders.html

On the album “Different Tongues” by Brian Peters, it’s called “The Dead Cow.” There’s much more of a swing to it but it’s clearly this same tune.