The Bould Thady Quill (jig) on The Session

Six settings

X: 1
T: The Bould Thady Quill
R: jig

M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
D|:GBA AGE|GAG GBd|ege dBG|BAG A2 D|
GBA AGE|GAG GBd|ege dBG|1 AGF G2 D:|2 AGF G2 B||
|:def g3|age edB|g2 g edB|BAG A2 D|
GBA AGE|GAG GBd|ege dBG|1 AGF G2 B:|2 AGF G2||

X: 2
T: The Bould Thady Quill
R: jig

M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Cmaj
E/F/|:GAF GED|CDB, CEG/A/|cBc AGE|1 EDC D2E/F/:|2 DCB, C2E/F/||
|:GAB cBc|dcB AGA/B/|cBc AGE|EDC D2E/F/|
GAF GED|CDB, CEG/A/|cBc AGE|1 DCB, C2E/F/:|2 DCB, C3||

X: 3
T: The Bould Thady Quill
R: jig

M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
D|:GBA BGG|AGF GBd|gfg edB|BAG A2B|
deB dBA|B(3dBA GBd|~g3 edB|1 AGF G2 D:|2 AGF G2 B||
|:def gfg|agf edd|gfg edB|BAG A2 B|
deB dBA|B(3dBA GBd||~g3 edB|1 AGF G2 B:|2 AGF G2 D||

X: 4
T: The Bould Thady Quill
R: jig

M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
D|GAB AGE|DEG GBd|efg dBG|{c}BAA A2D|
GAB AGE|DEG GBd|efg dBA|BGG G2:|
|:B|def {a}gfg|afd edB|gfg edB|{c}BAA A2D|
GAB AGE|DEG GBd|efg dBA|BGG G2:|

X: 5
T: The Bould Thady Quill
R: jig

M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
A|DFE FDE|DDD DFA|dcd BAF|FED E2F/G/|
ABA AFE|DED DFA|dcd BAF|EDC D3||
A|ABc dcd|edc BAA|dcd BAF|FED E2F/G/|
ABA AFE|DED DFA|dcd BAF|EDC D3||

X: 6
T: The Bould Thady Quill
R: jig

M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
B|:dec dBA|GAF GBd|g3 edB|BAG A2B|
dec dBA|GAF GBd|g3 edB|AGF G2d:|
|:def g3|agf edB|g3 edB|BAG A2d|
dec dBA|GAF GBd|g3 edB|1 AGF G2d:|2 AGF G2B||

Thirteen comments

The Bould Thady Quill (jig)

This tune is played by Caoimhín Ó Sé on the Wooden Flute Obsession: Volume 2, Disc 2. The transcription here is very close to that - and the way I will play it from now on 🙂 Enjoy…

This is probably a variant of “The Cow that Ate the Blanket”: https://thesession.org/tunes/1994

Brian Rooney recorded a very similar version as “Bold Thady Quill.”

Never new that this was played as a dance tune. A 90 years old (I should have said young because of his personality!) singer, Sean Barrett from Cork sings this most weeks at our session and now that all the musicians know it, everyone joins in for the chorus. I believe it’s a Cork anthem as Thady, apart from his amorous prowess, was also renowned for his hurling exploits especially against rivals, Tipperary!

Is there something wrong with the sound file? When I download I get a reel in Dmajor.

aidan crossey sings a great song on one of his recordings“ The Blackberry Fair“ to this tune.

Ther eis a song which uses this melody whic starts out with., “oh, my name it is nell & the truth I will tell, I come from coote hill which I’ll never deny”..

There is another name which is more often given to this this tune in sessions, which I can’t remember right now.

Anyway I always liked this little ditty with words or not.

thanks!

Another name

Bold Thady Quill

Here’s the way Devin Shepherd taught it last summer at the Minnesota Irish Musician’s weekend fiddle workshop:

X: 1
T: Bold Thady Quill, The
S: Devin Shepherd, MIM 6/16/12
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
D|:GBA BGG | AGF GBd | gfg edB |BAG A2B |
deB dBA | B(3dBA GBd| ~g3 edB |1 AGF G2 D:|2 AGF G2 B||
|:def gfg | agf edd|gfg edB|BAG A2 B|
deB dBA | B(3dBA GBd||~g3 edB |1 AGF G2 B:|2 AGF G2 D||

I’ve been following it lately with “The Cobbler” which was taught by Jackie Daly at his Sliabh Luachra repertoire class at the Milwaukee Irish Fest School this summer.

The Bould Thady Quill, X:4

Here is the version published in O’Neill’s Dance Music of Ireland - 1001 Gems (1907), p. 24, no. 44, as Nell Flaherty’s Drake, Bardal Eiblin Ni Flaitbeartaig.