The Glen Of Aherlow reel

I learned this tune in Cape Cod from one of the locals named Chris Nowichik (or, “Prodigy Boy” to Tim Livernois :P ). It’s also on the Lunasa album “Otherworld.” It’s a really enjoyable and fun tune to play, especially with Ms. McLeod’s reel (that’s what I play it with).

I believe this is a Sean Ryan composition originally written with the title “Glen of Aherlow.”

On his album (Fair Warning?) or something like that. Or is that Van Halen album? He pairs it with a tune I know as “Father Kelly’s.”

I play the first part of the tune like this:

K: Edor
B2AF BFAF|~E3F EDFA|B2AF BFAF|DFBA FE~E2|
B2AF BFAF|~E3F EDBA|BEEF DEFA|dBAF FE~E2:|

I think this is almost the same as what Michael McGoldrick does on the low whistle.

In the sleeve notes of Mary MacNamara’s solo album, Jackie Small informs us that the tune was originally composed by Tipperary fiddler Sean Ryan as “The Glen of Aherlow,” but Paddy Canny and P.J. Hayes renamed it after their piano accompanist when they recorded it.

See The Fiddler’s Companion for the history of this tune and the related English tune known as Brighton Camp.

"The Hidden Ireland:
The First Selection of Irish Traditional Compositions of Seán Ryan"
Compiled by Brian Ryan

Page 25 ~ “The Glen of Aherlow”

Lovely tune. I just learnt it off Kieran Hanrahan’s album. Don’t know what those weird notes are that he hits at the end but I’ll get them.

If James Morrison recorded this tune (The Glen of Aherlow) sometime between 1921 and 1936 on The Professor,(1) and Séan Ryan didn’t start composing until the early 50’s, when he was about 30 years old(2), then Séan Ryan could not have written this tune.

References:

1. https://thesession.org/recordings/356
2. http://www.brendantaaffe.com/sean_ryan.html

X: 1
T: Lafferty’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Edor
|: B2AF BFAF | E3F EDBd | B2AF BFAF | DFAF FE~E2 |
B2AF BFAF | E3F EDBA | BE~E2 DEFA | BdAF FE~E |
B2AF BFAF | E3F EDBd | B2AF BFAF | DFAF FE~E2 |
B2 AF B2 AF | EBAF EDBA |BE E2 DEFA | BdAF FE E2||
|: eB~B2 efge | f3e defd | eB~B2 e2 fe | dBAF Be~e2 |
eB~B2 egfe | f3e defd | B3d egfe | dBAF Be~e2 :|
eB~B2 efge | f3e defd | eB~B2 e2 fe | dBAF Be~e2 |
e2 b2 efga |f3e defd | B3d e2 fe | dBAF Be e2 ||
|: B2AF BFAF | E3F EDBD | B2AF BFAF | DFAF FE~E2 |
B2AF BFAF | E3F EDBA | BE~E2 DEFA | BdAF FE~E |
B2 AF B2 AF | EBAF EDBA | B2 AF BFAF | DFEF FE E2|
B2 AF BFAF |EBAF EDBA |BE E2 DEFA | BdAF g3f ||

|:eB B2 efga | f3e defd | eB B2 e2 fe | dBAF Be e2 |
e2 b2 efga | f3e defd | B3d egfe | dBAF Be e2 |
eB B2 efga | f3e defd | eB B2 e2 fe | dBAF Be e2 |
eB B2 efga | f3e defd | B3d e2 fe |dBAF Be f2 ||
|:B2 AF BFAF |E3F EDBd |B2 AF BFAF |DFAF FE E2 |
B2 B2 B2 AF | EDBA EDFA |BE E2 DEFA | BdAF FE E2 |
B2 AF BFAF | e3f edBd | B2 AF BFAF | DFAF FE E2 |
B3d BdAF | EDBA EDFA | B2 AF DEFA |BdAF GEEf ||
g4 g3f | f4 f3e | eB B2 e2 fe | dBAF Be e2 |
e2 b2 efga | f3e defd | B2 Ad egfe |dBAF Be e2|
eB B2 gB B2 | fB B2 eB B2 | eB B2 e2 fe | dBAF b3a/f/ |
eB B2 efga |z3e defd | B3d e2 fe | dBAF e2 e2||

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwKCYR0-Yjs

play video

Second tune.

Paddy Canny and PJ Hayes recorded this tune with my Great Aunt ( grandmother’s sister) Bridie Lafferty. It was her favorite reel to play on the piano, hence the name “Lafferty’s Favorite” or Ril Ui Laithbheartaigh.
She had also played with the Castle Ceili Band, Kincora Ceili Band among others.
Her house in Drumcondra, Dublin was a favorite stopping off point and parlor partys with all of the greats in the 50’s and 60’s
were common occurances.
Patrick Murphy
The Indulgers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kpQ5ke16vM

play video

is this the same tune?

yes it is, Robert, but the guy in the video plays it in Dminor.
If it helps you can transpose the ABC at: http://www.8ung.at/abctransposer/

Where’s Aherlow?

It’s in Co. Tipperary: http://www.aherlow.com/html/home.html That’s where the composer came from.

When did Sean Ryan compose this?
If James Morrison recorded this tune (The Glen of Aherlow) sometime between 1921 and 1936 on The Professor,(1) and Séan Ryan didn’t start composing […]

# Posted on August 22nd 2007 by joebowbeer

Are you sure it’s the same tune we’re talking about? The track on ‘The Professor’ is a pair of waltzes.

David

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1SI1FP5rpA

play video

aka “LAPD” - yes, it’s an awful joke.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIQBD4aNysw

play video

James Morrison recorded an instrumental version of the old song: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_of_Aherlow_(song) Sean Ryan later composed this reel with the same title. It would be like throwing together a hornpipe and calling it Boolavogue, dig?

Variation from fifth bar of second part on repeat,

~g3 a gfeg|~f3 g fedA|~B3 c dfef|dBAF FEE2|

Here’s a video of Sean Ryan playing this tune in 1982, it’s the last tune, skip to 5:05

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0pXmS1Ljmk

play video

In my playing my Irish D flute how do I apply the low A/Bs (in 2nd measure) meaning, what would I play?

I understand I could transpose but then what to do if I were to play in a session?? What do the other flutes play?

Ok- I see now in the above McGoldricks version

transcription from the Youtube video of Sean Ryan playing it himself

I always knew it as Lafferty’s…

Had a go at this one today - First tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9KDNaMSzmo

play video

Played by Kevin Burke : https://youtu.be/sKnXKeKkeY8

play video

transscription based on Kevin Burke’s version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjQ4KdFZpGY

play video

Since we know the original name of this beautuful tune by Seán Ryan, it’s also been published in his tunebook, and it’s definitely not some obscure title - roughly 35 recordings on the list use “The Glen of Aherlow” or “The Glens of Aherlow”, including almost all of the recent ones - I see no reason for it to be called “the wrong way” in 2021😉 Variations on “Lafferty’s” are all saved in alternative titles and searchable.

Here’s the collection of Seán Ryan tunes that includes The Glen of Aherlow:
https://www.cranfordpub.com/books/ryansean.htm

C:Sean Ryan from Aherlow,Tipperary
S:https://youtu.be/s4L5UAfIaok?t=5m44s

play video

S:Sean Ryan himself https://youtu.be/q0pXmS1Ljmk?t=5m4s

play video

From X:11 I got this setting that has some differences:

- The offbeat rolls are replaced by the combination quaver-triplet.

- I changed one note in the second part that was the one I am more familiar with. It was an f, now it is a g. I see this note in other settings as well.

- I changed the A chord with a D chord. Maybe sounds better to me because of the note change I did.

It would be interesting to know which chords Bridie Lafferty chose to accompany this with 🙂

I found this version scribbled in a notebook and thought I’d upload. Not sure where it’s from, but likely to be based on Michael McGoldrick’s playing.