The Killeigh hornpipe

I’ve given this tune twice in the only key I ever knew it in, G Major… The reason for giving it twice is that each version represents different sessions, musicians and times. The first is a more recent take on it, but not that recent, and I suspect was under the influence of the Keane, Molloy, O’Flynn recording “The Fire Aflame”, at least in parts. The second take is the oldest I have for it, the 70’s, and is, with some variations worked, to how we played it in sessions and for dancers in the counties of Dublin and Wicklow back then, under the name “John Brady’s”… I am not altogether sure who I learned it from originally…

Here are some more possibilities from different players for just one measure ~ bar 4, either part:

~ | A>A (3GFE D2 (3DEF | ~ or ~ | (3ABA (3GFE A2 E>F | ~

This is also given as a good example of a classic hornpipe, one that is in ‘agreement’ with itself. This subject was raised recently over a new composition submitted here ~ “Ricky’s Hornpipe”, by Jakob Robinson:
https://thesession.org/tunes/6448

That is also in part the reason for giving the two very close versions of the hornpipe…

I was surprised not to find this here, but I may not have used the right combination of notes to search with under ‘Advanced’. If so, let me know and I will move the notes to the ‘Comments’ for any pre-exiting version…

That reversal of letters is one of my classic dyslexic screw-ups, which I don’t always see until after I’ve done it… It happens more frequently if I’m not getting enough sleep… The correction is given.

As said, this was the name I knew it by in the 70’s and 80’s, and was a tune we played in sessions in the ‘East’, and for dance and dancers…

R: hornpipe
K: G Major
|: (3DEF |
G2 A>F G>AB>d | g2 e>g d>GB>d | e>GB>d B>AG>B | (3ABA (3GFE D2 (3DEF |
G2 A>F G>AB>d | g2 e>g d>GB>d | e>GB>d B>AG>E | G2 (3AGF G2 :|
|: B |
d>GB>d e>GB>d | g2 b>g d>GB>d | c>ec>A B>dB>G | (3ABA (3GFE D2 B |
d>GB>d e>GB>d | g2 b>g d>GB>d | E>GB>d B>AG>E | G2 (3AGF G2 :|

& the reason for this, basically ~ to emphasis that ‘agreement’ that helps to clearly outline 2, 4 and 8 measure phrases that guide a dancer through the elements of a dance.

1 measure = two steps or one hornpipe step
phrases within phrases ~ 2 / 4 / 8

The figures or movements in most dances are defined by this timing ~ an ‘Advance’ is usually 2 bars ~ an ‘Advance and Retire’ is usually 4 measures ~ a nice average swing is 8 measures in length… Often times, with the best designs in dance, a pronounced change in figure happens from bar 16 to 17, the change from the A-part to the B-part of a 32 bar tune like this. Quite a few couple dances are exactly 16 measures in length, and again, the change from A to B helps with this, gives lift and life to that change…

As a musician, seeing that happen before me is another kind of magic I appreciate and love… Maybe it is the dyslexia, eh? ~ seeing a visual representation of the music… But I like both sides of that physics equation…

Back to this tune ~ ‘AGREEMENT’!!!

A-part & B-part: measures 1 & 2 with 5 & 6 ~
~ measures 2, 4, 6, 7 & 8 are the same for both… (e & E aside 😉 )

Oops!, cut-and-paste went North, measure 4 in both parts in the example of ‘agreement’ above, A & B, don’t quite agree. They should have read the same:

~ | (3ABA (3GFE D2 (3DEF |

~ not D2 B, which as a variation already given could end D3 B | ~

Chris Droney plays this often and calls it the Killeigh Hrnp

Thanks a bunch Kilfarboy for the other name and the memories ~ Chris Droney is a prince…blessed with a lovely family too ~ and who also happens to be a damned nice musician and dancer as well… He is also one of the reasons why the tune picked up the alternate title “Belharbour / Bellharbour”…

Killeigh, County Offaly, near Tullamore

“By The Slopes of Longridge” ~ the music of John Brady
Publisher: Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann

Unfortunately I don’t have this publication, but it makes sense to me that this hornpipe may be one of John Brady’s and that he titled it something other than “John Brady’s” ~ so I’ve opted for his home ~ “Killeigh” as the primary title, until I find out or hear otherwise…

What is curious, taking my plain-brown-wrapper version above, with triplets thrown back in, there is little if any difference to recordings of Chris Droney on this one. Here’s yet another take with a few other choices thrown in:

K: G Major
R: hornpipe (triplets, such as on G2 & g2, etc., are given second time round for comparison…)
K: G Major
|: D>E |
G2 A>F G2 B>d | g2 e>g d>GB>d | e>GB>d B>AG>B | (3ABA (3GFE D2 D>E |
G2 (3AGF G2 (3Bcd | (3gbg e>g d>GB>d | e>GB>d B>AG>E |1 G2 G2 G2 :|
2 G2 G>B G3 ||
|: e |
d>GB>d e>GB>d | g2 b>g d>GB>d | c>ec>A B>dB>G | (3ABA (3GFE D3 B |
d>G (3Bcd e>G (3Bcd | (3gbg b>g d>GB>d | E>G (3Bcd B>AG>E |1 G2 G2 G3 :|
2 G2 F2 G2 ||

I looked in the book before posting the alternative name, it’s not in ‘The Slopes of the Longridge’

Nox, alias Dow also checked the book, no show, but I’m pretty sure I was told it was his, names aside. At least the connection between John Brady and Killeigh is clear. Mark says he knows Adrian Brady, John’s son, and will be meeting with him soon and will ask him… Now that’s ‘community’ at work… 🙂

I’ll have to learn the tune first though. Or I suppose I could be lazy and just print out the sheetmusic 🙂

There are more Brady tunes not included in the book, here’s one that some of us were discussing elsewhere sometime ago. It was pointed out the title is tongue in cheek as Tullamore harbour would be something like the home port to the proverbial Swiss Nay

T:Tullamore Harbour
C:John Brady
S:Mike Rafferty
H:The Longridge Ceili Band includes John Brady from Offaly.
H:The Tullamore Harbour is in Co. Offaly.
D:Longridge Ceili Band LP
Z:lesl
M:6/8
K:G
d|GGB dBG|gaf gdB|Gz d edB|edB AFD|
GGB dBg|gaf gz A|DFA dcA|GAF Gz D|
|GGB dBg|gaf gdB|gz d edB|edB AFD|
GGB dBg|gaf gz A|DFA dcA|GAF Gz D||
|GBd ~g3|dgb gdB|ecA BAG|FAF Dz D|
GBd ~g3|dz b gdB|DFA dcA|GAF Gz D|
|GBd ~g3|dgb gdB|ecA BAG|FAF DAD|
GBd gz g|dgb gdB|DFA dcA|GAF G3||

That was the Swiss Navy of course

This is my interpretation of John Carty’s version of The Bellharbour off At It Again. I made it simple as he ornaments it differently each time through but the bare bones of the tune also leave it open for your own interpretation.

X: 1
T: Bellharbour, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: Gmaj
| (3DEF |: G2 GF G2 Bd |g2 eg dGBd | eGBc B3-B | (3ABA (3GFE D2 (3DEF |
G2 GF GABd | g2 eg dGBd | eGBc BAGF | 1 G2 GF GDEF :| 2 G2 FA G2 Bc ||
| dGBd eGBd | g2 bg d3 B | c3 d B3 c | (3ABA (3GFE D2 Bc |
dGBd eGBd | g2 bg d2 ED | EGBc BAGF | GBAF G2 Bc |
dfgf e3f | gabg d3 B| c3 d B3 c | (3ABA (3GFE D2 Bc |
dGBd eGBd | g2 bg d2 ED | EGBc BAGF | GBAF G3 |

This seems to be a rare tune, as far as appearing in print goes. It does show up, however, in Bulmer & Sharpley’s 1974 “Music from Ireland” as ‘The Kelly’ (book 4, tune #66). Henrik Norbeck also includes it (as ‘The Belharbour Hornpipe’) in his online abc collections.

X: 2
T: Killeigh, The
T: John Brady’s
T: Belharbour, The
N: in a plain brown wrapper
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: GMaj
|: (3DEF |\
G2 A>F G>AB>d | g2 e>g d>GB>d | e>GB>d B>AG>B | (3ABA (3GFE D2 (3DEF |
G2 A>F G>AB>d | g2 e>g d>GB>d | e>GB>d B>AG>E | G2 (3AGF G2- :|
|: G>B |\
d>GB>d e>GB>d | g2 b>g d>GB>d | c>ec>A B>dB>G | (3ABA (3GFE D2 B |
d>GB>d e>GB>d | g2 b>g d>GB>d | E>GB>d B>AG>E | G2 (3AGF G2- :|

X: 3
T: Killeigh, The
T: John Brady’s
T: Belharbour, The
S: Chris Droney
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: GMaj
|: D>E |\
G2 A>F G2 B>d | g2 e>g d>GB>d | e>GB>d B>AG>B | (3ABA (3GFE D2 D>E |
G2 (3AGF G2 (3Bcd | (3gbg e>g d>GB>d | e>GB>d B>AG>E |[1 G2 G2 G2 :|[2 G2 G>B G2- ||
|: G>e |\
d>GB>d e>GB>d | g2 b>g d>GB>d | c>ec>A B>dB>G | (3ABA (3GFE D3 B |
d>G (3Bcd e>G (3Bcd | (3gbg b>g d>GB>d | E>G (3Bcd B>AG>E |[1 G2 G2 G2- :|[2 G2 F2 G2 ||

X: 2 above, the B-part, bar 4…

X: 5
T: Kelly, The
B: “Music of Ireland, Volume 4”, Dave Bulmer & Neil Sharpley, 1974, page 24, tune #66
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: GMaj
|: (3DEF |\
G2 A>G d>GB>d | ~g2 e>g d>GB>d | e>GB>d B>AG>B | (3ABA (3GFE D2 (3DEF |
G2 A>G d>GB>d | ~g2 e>g d>GB>d | e>GB>d B>AG>E | G2 G>B G2 :|
|: B>c |\
d>GB>d e>GB>d | g2 b>g d>GB>d | c>ec>A B>dB>G | (3ABA (3GFE D2 D>B |
d>GB>d e>GB>d | g2 b>g d>GB>d | E>GB>d B>AG>E | G2 G>B G2 :|

‘>’ added! 😉

In the book “The Brady Collection” published in 2013, compiled by Attracta and Adrian Brady, p94, the notes say "Composed in the late 1960s. Chris Droney named this tune on his album ‘The Fertile Rock’ having learned it from John. Thus, for what I understand, the Killeigh name was given by Chris.
No comment about the origin of the Bell Harbour title…
The already above-mentionned jig “Tullamore Harbour” is featured in this book too.