By Golly jig

This is a very old-fashioned jig from Peadar O’Loughlin and Maeve Donnelly’s beautiful duet playing. It’s also on Chulrua’s 2nd album "Down the Back Lane," and I heard Charlie Piggot playing it very recently in Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare.

The title refers to an expression much used by Chicago fiddler Johnny McGreevy, according to the notes of O’Loughlin & Donnelly’s album "The Thing Itself." Charlie Piggot couldn’t recall what it is called, but knew it comes from McGreevy’s playing.

I love this sort of simple tunes. You’ll also like it if you are a fan of piping classics such as "Hag with the Money," and "Fraher’s."

Brian MacNamara writes: "Neary’s jig is associated with the Mayo born fiddle player Jimmy Neary who emigrated to Chicago in the 1920s. The home of Jimmy and his wife Eleanor was regarded as a musical haven in Chicago for Irish musicians and this jig is one of a number of rare tunes associated with them. This tune was recorded by Johnny McGreevy on his Philo LP."
From "Tune of the Month" page of Brian MacNamara’s website: http://www.piperbrian.com/music/music_tunes.html

So, it was another Chicago-based musician Johnny McGreevy who most likely learnt this jig from Jim Neary and brought it back to Ireland.

You can listen to a nice concertina and fiddle duet playing of this jig here: http://www.myspace.com/maireadhurley
The one played after the Boys of Tanderagee, of course.

Mairead Hurley is from Ballymote and won the All-Ireland a couple of years ago. I know a few members of the Hurleys personally, but have never met her yet. I don’t know anything about the fiddler Jacqui Martin. I guess they play together on a regular basis somewhere in Dublin.

Neary’s, transcribed from the playing of Geraldine O’Callaghan on Echoes of Erin 2006.