The Blarney Pilgrim jig

I’ve shown some ideas for varying the lively third part. Sometimes it works well with short, snappy notes and sometimes it’s better to squeeze in as many droning D notes as possible.

A great version of this tune being played at a nice, steady pace can be found on the classic Andy Irvine/Paul Brady collaboration album.

This is apparently a really well-known tune. I’ve found it at many free sheet music sites. I first saw it in a pennywhistle book.

This tune is nicely paired before The Walls of Liscarrol.

I have heard this tune played by Gaelic Storm. Seven Nations also does this with Uillean Pipes. I believe it is on the Road Kill CD.

Tommy Peoples puts a few lovely spins and stutters on this tune on his cd Waiting For A Call.

Oddly, in the orchestra arrangement of Gaelic Storm’s Titanic version, the second piece (a reel) is labelled as Blarney Pilgrim, while the first one (a jig, and this tune) is left unlabeled…

Now, I need to figure out what the proper name of the second half is.

I have since found the second tune; it’s a polka called Ryan’s.

this is one of those tunes where I think of the last part as a variation on the first and of the second part as a kind of chorus or refrain.. So i tend to play it ABCB..
Also there’s a lovely light version by John Renbourn & Robin Williamson on a track called South Wind & Blarney Pilgrim but I don’t know the album name…

Nice playful version by Paddy Keenan on The Long Grazing Acre.

I don’t see how this tune could be centered on D as tonic - even if mixolydian.

I really do like the tune though - and on mandolin I like playing a couple open D notes along with the melody on that B part - and sometimes an open G note on the A part.

Go here for a detailed discussion of the key of this tune https://thesession.org/discussions/14277

I know that there’s been plenty of discussion about the key and backing to this tune, but all I ever found was the first part. Anybody have ideas for a good, simple backing for the other two parts?

For Gaelic Storm’s arrangement I’m nearly 99% certain that the tunes are Blarney Pilgrim followed by Armagh Polka, or at least thats what its being called in my Foinn Seisiun books…

X: 2
T: Blarney Pilgrim, The
S: Seamus Egan on tenor banjo
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmix
|: DD/D/D DEG | AA/A/A ABc | BAG AGE | GEA GED |
DD/D/D DEG | A2 A ABc | BAG AGE | GED DD/D/D :|
dd/d/d dBG | AGA BGE | dd/d/d dBG | ABA GBd |
g/g/ge dBG | AA/A/A BGE | B/B/BG AGE |[1 GED DBc :|[2 GED DFG ||
AD/D/D BD/D/D | A2 D ABc | BAG AGE | GEA GED |
AD/D/D B2 D | AD/D/D ABc | BAG AGE |[1 GED DFG :|[2 GED D3 |]

LP: "Tom McGonigle & Robert MacGowran: Road Map Of Ireland"
https://thesession.org/recordings/display/3593

track 5. ) Jigs: Coppers and Brass / The Blarney Pilgrim / The Rose in the Heather
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz_b2aFgtr0

play video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Yu6b9w7XY

play video

Good god!

This is a version I heard from Craig Duncan I believe. Very similar to X1 but handles the B part differently and quite nicely IMO.

Piping

Similar enough version to Jeremy’s initial version here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_kgbDCJ7ws

play video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbKApkQe2Jk

play video

[ Thanks to John Crawford for forwarding the link ].

Here are some chords to go with Blarney Pilgrim.

I learned this tune from a friend of mine named George Balderose, in an Uillean pipes class that he was teaching. It has changed a little as I have played it, so it has a couple of odd little tweaks. I hope you enjoy! Also, the opening bar could be played, DDD DEG, with a crann on the first three D’s. I would have put it in there, but I don’t know how to notate cranns.

Blarney Pilgrim
John Ryan’s
Kesh jig
Drowsie Maggie


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaU0o52Hy2g

play video

Help! Tune identification, please! (I realize it should be down a 5th, in G Major)

Help! Tune identification, please! (I realize it should be down a 5th, in G Major)
Thanks for any help you can offer!

Blarney Pilgrim (?)

Yes, I agree, it sounds close to the first two parts of the Blarney Pilgrim:
https://thesession.org/tunes/5