The Blackthorn Stick jig

By William Bradbury Ryan

Also known as An Maide Draighin, Catholic Boys, The Coach Road To Sligo, Fire On The Mountains, The Humours Of Bantry, The Mail Coach Road To Sligo, The Robin’s Nest.

There are 107 recordings of this tune.
This tune has been recorded together with

The Blackthorn Stick appears in 8 other tune collections.

The Blackthorn Stick has been added to 303 tune sets.

The Blackthorn Stick has been added to 1,675 tunebooks.

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Nine settings

1
X: 1
T: The Blackthorn Stick
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:d|gfg ege|dBG AGE|DGG FGA|BGB A2 d|
gfg age|dBG AGE|DGG FGA|BGG G2:|
|:d|edd gdd|edd gdd|e2 e gfg|edB A2 d|
gfg age|dBG AGE|DGG FGA|BGG G2:|
2
X: 2
T: The Blackthorn Stick
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:d|g2 g ege|dBG AGE|D2 G A^GA|BG/A/B AGE|
gfg e/f/ge|dBG AGE|DEG A^GA|BGG G2:|
|:d|edd gdd|edd gdB|def gfg|edB A3|
[1 g2 g ege|dBG AGE|DGG AcA|BGG G2:|
[2 gfg a^ga|bge edB|G2 G A/B/cA|BG/G/G G2||
3
X: 3
T: The Blackthorn Stick
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:d|gfg e/f/ge|dBG AGE|DEG AGA|BGB AGE|
gfg e/f/ge|dBG AGE|DEG AGA|BGG G2:|
|:d|edd gdd|edd gdB|def gfg|edB AGE|
[1 gfg e/f/ge|dBG AGE|DGG A/B/cA|BGG G2:|
[2 gfg aga|bge edB|GFG A/B/cA|BGG G2||
4
X: 4
T: The Blackthorn Stick
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
(3d/e/f/|~gfg efd|gdB dBA|DBB Dcc|DBB ABd|
{def}~gfg efd|gdB dBA|DGG ~AGA|BGG G2:|
|:B/d/|edd gdd|edd gdB|{def}~gfg efd|gdB ABd|
{def}~gfg efd|gdB dBA|DGG ~AGA|BGG G2:|
5
X: 5
T: The Blackthorn Stick
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
d|g>fg efg|dBG AFD|DGG AGA|BGB ABd|
gfg efg|dBG AFD|AGG AGA|BGG G2:|
|:d|edd gdd|edd gdB|def gdB|eAA ABd|
edd gdd|edd gdB|DGG AGA|BGG G2:|
6
X: 6
T: The Blackthorn Stick
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
e|:aga faf|ecA BAF|EAA FBB|cAc A2 e|
aga baf|ecA BAF|EAA FBB|cAA A2 e:|
|:fee aee|fee aee|fee agf|edc B2 e|
aga baf|ecA BAF|EAA FBB|cAA A2 e:|
7
X: 7
T: The Blackthorn Stick
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:D|GFG EGE|dBG AGE|DGG FGA|BGB A2 d|
GFG AGE|dBG AGE|DGG FGA|BGG G2:|
|:D|EDD GDD|EDD GDD|E2 E GFG|edB A2 d|
GFG AGE|dBG AGE|DGG FGA|BGG G2:|
8
X: 8
T: The Blackthorn Stick
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
|:e|~a3 faf|ecA BAF|EAA BAB|cAc B2 e|
~a3 baf|ecA BAF|EAA BAB|cAA A2:|
|:e|fee aee|fee aee|fee ~a3|fec B2 e|
~a3 baf|ecA BAF|EAA BAB|cAA A2:|
9
X: 9
T: The Blackthorn Stick
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
e|:"A" aga "D" faf|"A" ecA "E" BAF|"A" EAA "E" FBB|"A" cAc A2 e|
"A" aga "D" baf|"A" ecA "E" BAF|"A" EAA "E" =GBB|"A" cAA A2 e:|
|:"D" fee "A" aee|"D" fee "A" aee|"D" fec "A" agf|edc "E" B2 e|
"A" aga "D" baf|"A" ecA "E" BAF|"A" EAA "E" =GBB|"A" cAA A2 e:|

Twenty-seven comments

AKA the Joys of Wedlock

Another name I’ve heard this tune called is the Joys of Wedlock. Anybody else?

Many Joys of Wedlock

The jig that I know as “Joys of Wedlock” is different. I guess that just means the joys of wedlock are many. 🙂

Sarah

Another Joy(s) of Wedlock

I just checked JC’s ABC Tune Finder. Search on “Joys of Wedlock.” The second one in the list (index 10) is exactly the version I know as Joys of Wedlock. The first one in the list is the same melody but slight differences. I didn’t look at any of the others -- there were 15 hits.

By the way, Joys of Wedlock (as on the ABC Tune Finder) is a nice, bouncy little jig -- I like it a lot.

Sarah

Another name…

I know a version called “The Catholic Boys” and the name seems to fit the tag at the end of each melody line.

Maryland Highlander

No ornamentations on the notes :( And something about Danu’s version

Well first of all it’s a pity there are no Ornamentations on the notes, can anyone donate them?

Second - I have “Think Before you Think” by Danu, and for some reason “The Blackthorn Stick” though it is played as a jig, I couldn’t find any resemblence.

I originally learned this tune in A where I think it falls pretty nicely (at least on fiddle).

Sixpenny money

Celtic Thunder play this following Sixpenny Money…

I play it following A Health to the Ladies. Both tunes rollick along at a good clip, and I like the immediate key change from A to G between without slowing down. I recently looked at the entry for the former and discovered that someone else plays it the same way!

I should post my own ornaments for this tune, although it’s fairly easy to see where one might put any.

Another name..

i know this tune as “Blackthorn”, and it appears on the Bradley Brother’s CD entitled “Irish Dance World”

However, the tune we are discussing is listed on this site as on Kevin Joyce’s CD “Final Round”, this is incorrect. “Blackthorn Stick” is the title of a track on this CD, however, the tune is very different, as is the structure.

hope that provides a little clarity.

“The Blackthorn Stick” ~ all in the family

I wish you folks with your versions would add your ABC take on it here…please?! 😏 Here are two historical relatives ~

“The Maid On The Green”
Key signature: G Major
Submitted on July 20th 2003 by gian marco.
https://thesession.org/tunes/1831

“Mick McGarry’s Jig”
Key signature: D Major
Submitted on June 24th 2004 by Dow.
https://thesession.org/tunes/3202

“The Humours/Humors of Bantry” ~ O’Neill

“O’Neill’s Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies”, 1903, page 133, tune #711
“O’Neill Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems”, 1907, page 19, tune #13
“O’Neill’s Irish Music”, 1915, page 75, tune #129

X: 2
T: Humors of Bantry
T: Humours of Bantry
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: Jig
K: G Major
|: d |\
gfg e/f/ge | dBG AGE | DEG AGA | BGB AGE |
gfg e/f/ge | dBG AGE | DEG AGA | BGG G2 :|
|: d |\
edd gdd | edd gdB | def gfg | edB AGE |
[1 gfg e/f/ge | dBG AGE | DGG A/B/cA | BGG G2 :|
[2 gfg aga | bge edB | GFG A/B/cA | BGG G2 |]

This really is just a variation on the Blackthorn Stick. I wouldn’t call it a separate tune. The litmus test is: try it at your local session. If people join in with the Blackthorn Stick, then it’s likely the tune isn’t going to hold its ground in sessions. I’d personally let it gather dust in O’Neill’s. Blackthorn Stick is one of my favourite tunes though.

I’d also be wary of calling The Maid On The Green “family”. The A-part is very similar, yes, but can you prove that one was a direct descendant of the other?

To be in the same family is not the same as one being a direct descendent of the other. A common ancestor is all they require.

Right. So is there a common ancestor?

Changes in parts are not exactly rare, such as an A-part known and a B-part forgotten or half remembered, or an A-part from one and a B-part from another suddenly coming to hand and being taken as a reasonable pairing ~ they are still related, share something significant, like a part, A or B… Also, there isn’t necessarily a no go with taking the second part of this against others playing the more common if later version known as “The Blackthorn Stick”.

In the end it is Jeremy’s call and he may axe this. Personally, I like the second ending from this, which may even predate “The Blackthorn Stick”. Mostly, the name “The Blackthorn Stick” seems to be a later occurance, as far as I can figure…

The links are there for people to compare themselves, in your case you disagree, alright, point made… 😏

There are bastards in music too… 😉

“The Blackthorn Stick” ~ 1883

I have a dozen different versions of the tune in front of me at the moment, and it is to be found in this old stalwart ~

“Ryan’s Mammoth Collection”, 1883
(consequently also in “Cole’s 1,000 Fiddle Tunes”)

Has anyone got Lyrics for this tune? It does better as an air for a song…

I have a set comprised of Rakes of Kildare, The Blackthorn Stick, Lannigan’s Ball. Great rollicking tunes. The “minor-major-minor” sandwich is a lot of fun, and makes for a pretty unique set.

The Blackthorn Stick, X:2

This version appears in P.W. Joyce’s Old Irish Music and Songs (1909), vol. 1, p. 99, No. 200, as Fire on the Mountains.

The Blackthorn Stick, X:3

This version of “Fire on the Mountains” is provided by the Traditional Tune Archive that gives the Roche Collection as source. According to TTA, this tune is also known as Boys of Bockhill, Boys of Rockhill, Humors of Bantry, Billy Patterson, Billy Patterson’s Favorite, Blackthorn Stick, Catholic Boys, The Rose on the Mountain, The Eagle’s Nest, The Coach Road to Sligo, The Hare on the Mountain.