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The Greencastle hornpipe

Also known as Green Castle, The Green Castle, McPartland’s Style, McPartlin’s Style, The Mountain.

There are 29 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with The Minstrel’s Fancy (a few times), Dunphy’s (a few times), The Friendly Visit (a few times) and The Lass On The Strand (a few times).

The Greencastle appears in 4 other tune collections.

The Greencastle has been added to 9 tune sets.

The Greencastle has been added to 137 tunebooks.

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Four settings

X: 1
T: The Greencastle
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
d>c|:(B>G)(D>G) (B>G)(D>G)|(3gag (f>g) e2 (d>c)|(B>G)(D>G) (B>G)(D>G)|(d>c)(B>c) A2 (d>c)|
(B>G)(D>G) (B>G)(D>G)|(3gag (f>g) e2 (d>c)|B>gf>g e>cA>F|1 G2 B2 G2 d>c:|2 G2 B2 G2 (g>a)||
|:(b>a)(g>f) (e>f)(g>a)|(b>a)(g>f) e2 (f>g)|a>gf>e d>ef>g|a>gf>e d2 (e>f)|
(g>f)(g>d) (3efg (d>B)|(c>B)(A>B) (c>d)(e>f)|g>fg>d e>cA>F|1 G2 B2 G2 (g>a):|2 G2 B2 G4||
X: 2
T: The Greencastle
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
BGDG BGD2 | ~g2fg egd2 | BGDG Bdef | gdBG ~A2 D2 |
BGDG B/c/d ef | gBfB eg d2 | BGBd ecAF |1 GBAF G2 z2 :|2 GBAF G2 z a ||
bagf efga | bge^c dcdg | b2 ag eg ~g2 | afd^c d2 z2 |
B/c/d gd BGDB | =cBAG FA D2 | ~g2 bg ecAF |1 GBAF G2 z a :|2 GBAF G4 ||
X: 3
T: The Greencastle
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|: d>c |B>GD>G B>GD>G | (3gag f>g e2 d>c | B>GD>G B>GD>G | d>cB>c A2 d>c |
B>GD>G B>GD>G | (3gag f>g e2 d>c | B>gf>g e>cA>F | G2 B2 G2 :|
|: g>a |b>ag>f e>fg>a | b>ag>f e2 f>g | a>gf>e d>ef>g | a>gf>e d2 e>f |
g>fg>d (3efg d>B | c>BA>B c>de>f | g>fg>d e>cA>F | G2 B2 G2 :|
X: 4
T: The Greencastle
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
F2ED F2ED| d2cd B2AG| F2ED F2ED| G2FG E4|
F2ED F2ED| d2cd B2AG|FAdA BGEC|1D2DE D4:|2D2DE D2de||
fedc Bcde|fedc B2cd|edcB ABcd|edcB A4|
d2cA BdAF|GFEF GABc|d2cA BGEC|1D2DE D2de:|2D2DE D4||

Ten comments

To satisfy a request!

This is a very well known hornpipe which I’m surprised isn’t here already. You might have noticed that I’ve also requested it (by mistake) but the facility for cancelling your own requests seems to have vanished-unless I’m missing something?

Deleting requests

No, you’re right. That was an oversight on my part. I’ve now restored the ability to cancel requests.

The Greencastle Hornpipe

This tune is also known as McPartland’s Style, which is often paired with the Buck from the Mountain. Frankie Gavin and Marcas O’Murchu recorded the two tunes together, and that’s one of the sets associated with Leitrim flute player John McKenna.

McPartland’s Style (aka. the Greencastle Hornpipe)

Does anybody know John McKenna’s version of the tune? As I wrote above, F. Gavin and M. O’Murchu recorded it as a tribute to McKenna, but they play very different versions in totally different styles. I’m currently playing a composite of the two versions, but would love to learn the authentic Leitrim version.

According to the notes of M. Murchu’s recording, the title refers to his great-grandfather, Pat McPartland, who liked to dance to it.

The Greencastle Hornpipe

Is this an old tune? If not, who wrote it?

McPartlin’s Style

This version I’ve transcribed from the playing of Frankie Gavin on his "Croch Suas É" album. Not sure how accurate it is to the original John McKenna version. In this recording F Gavin is jumping around octaves a lot, plus playing what sounds like an F flute, so not too easy to transcribe exactly. Sounds good though!

X:3 "The Greencastle Hornpipe"

Another good and simple setting courtesy of "Allan’s Irish Fiddler", page 19, tune #75… We were dancing to this and playing it last night, admitting that I do have some ‘different’ ways with it…

Re: The Greencastle

In O’Neill’s Irish Folk Music: A Fascinating Hobby he writes that he picked up the Greencastle Hornpipe from a flute player, James Moore, in the winter of 1875 in Chicago, and it’s in O’Neill’s 1001.

The Greencastle, X:4

Setting 4:
I just heard this setting of the tune played by Andy O’Sullivan and Meabh Begley in a session. They played it as a reel.