Mary O’Neill’s Fancy reel

This is a transcription of the third tune of the first track of Kevin and Sean Maloney’s album ‘Bridging the Gap.’

It’s also very close to the version played by Jerry O‘Sullivan on his album ’The Invasion’

It seems named after Francis O’Neill’s daughter. Yeah, very nice one!

I believe the Moloneys got it off O’Neill’s. Do they mention the source in the notes?

The notes say the following: “The third tune Kevin recalls being played in his youth. It is in O’Neill’s Music of Ireland”

So, whether the Moloneys learned the tune from O’Neill’s is not something I can answer. Considering his age, he may have been familiar with the tune in the 1930’s and 40’s, but anything more is just speculation.

However, the transcription was taken from the recording, and not from O’Neill’s.

Slainte, there seem to ba a number of tunes in O‘Neills named after Francis O’Neill’s relations. From what I’ve heard (and take this with a grain of salt) the Hornipipe ‘Kit O’Mahoney’s“ and the reel ”The Maid of Feakle" were named after his mother.

I just looked it up in ‘the big book’ and the setting is very close to this one. You can find the ABC at at the O’Neill’s project here:

http://ecf-guest.mit.edu/~jc/music/book/oneills/1850/F/1276-1375_to.abc

I read in Andrew Kuntz‘ FC that according to Nicholas Carolan, Mary O’Neill’s was named for a sister of fiddler Sergeant James O’Neill, who was Captain Francis O’Neill’s chief collaborator.

Also that it was called The Mouse Behind the Dresser by the Shaskeen ceili band.

I have the tune like this from Mike Rafferty:

d2Bd|:egdB ~G3B|D~G3 DGB2|dBAB ~G3A|Beed e2ge|
dBAB ~G3B|D~G3 DGB2|dBAB ~G3A|Beed e2ge|
|d~B3 d2ge|d~B3 d2ge|d2 Bd ~g3d|egdB ~A3B|
d~B3 d2gf|edef ~g3a|b2af gfed|egfa g2z d:||

Lesl

I just went thumbing through my Shaskeen transcriptions, and indeed in is called ‘The Mouse Behind the Dresser.’ Also, their setting is nearly identical to this one <insert sound of hand patting on one’s back>. I’ll add it as an alternate title.

It can be found in recorded version on their album (surprise) ‘The Mouse Behind The Dresser.’ I’ll check to see if it’s already in the Recordings section.

The transciption can be found in their book ‘The Corssroads Dance.’ I’d highly reccommend picking up any of the Shaskeen recordings or books. Great stuff.

Tim

X: 1
T: Mary O’Neill’s Fancy
S: Paul O’Shaughnessy & Harry Bradley - Born For Sport
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
ge|dBAB ~G3E|DG~G2 DGBc|dBAB ~G3A|Beed eage|
dBAB ~G3E|DG~G2 DGBc|dBAB ~G3A|Beed e2:|
|:ge|dB~B2 dBge|dB~B2 ~d3e|dB~B2 gfgd|egdB A2Bc|
dB~B2 gB~B2|edef gfga|bgaf gfed|egfa gf:|

Not quite sure why I put repeats in there. I must be tired..

X: 1
T: Mary O’Neill’s Fancy
S: Paul O’Shaughnessy & Harry Bradley - Born For Sport
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
ge|dBAB ~G3E|DG~G2 DGBc|dBAB ~G3A|Beed eage|
dBAB ~G3E|DG~G2 DGBc|dBAB ~G3A|Beed e2ge||
dB~B2 dBge|dB~B2 ~d3e|dB~B2 gfgd|egdB A2Bc|
dB~B2 gB~B2|edef gfga|bgaf gfed|egfa gf||

Setting # 5 is the version of Billy Clifford on “Ceol As Sliabh Luachra”.
https://thesession.org/recordings/1291
He plays it ABB. There’s a nice chromatic passage in bar 20 (sometimes played this way in bar 12 as well).