John Kelly’s reel

I transcribed this off a session recording taken in the Gaelic Club in Sydney a few years ago. The tune was played as transcribed by a couple of fiddlers, but their original source was Tola Custy and Cyril O’Donoghue’s album "Setting Free". Everyone I’ve ever heard play this tune seems to have got it off this album. TC plays the A-part as transcribed the 1st time through but then swaps bars 1 and 5. This means that some people have picked up the tune this way, as shown by this transcription from Shelta’s website @ http://perso.orange.fr/shelta/Page2_.htm (I’ve taken out the chords).

X: 1
T: John Kelly’s
D: The Real Reels Of Ireland
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
~G3F GABG|AGEF GABc|d2Bd g~d3|egdB AcBA|
DEGA ~B2GB|AGEF GABc|d2Bd gedB|1 cAFA GDEF:|2 cAFA GABd||
|:egfg edBd|~d2gd B3d|c2cA ~B2dB|cBAG FDEF|
~G3F GABG|AGEF GABc|d2Bd gedB|1 cAFA GABd:|2 cAFA GDEF||

Wierd. ABCs look fine, but there is no indication on the sheet music of a first ending for the A part. Obviously not hard to figure out where the first ending is. Just strange it didn’t show up. Anybody else notice this or am I just delusional?

I remember Frankie Kennedy and the Belfast crowd playing this some 20 years ago in Miltown. I’m sure I had a name for it at one time. If it comes back to me , I’ll let you know.

Didn’t Kevin Burke record this - or a version of it at least - on "Portland" as "Morrison’s" ?

That’s wrong - ignore it.

This is also called John Kelly’s. I got from a video clip featuring Paddy Glacklin.

T:John Kelly’s
R:reel
S:YouTube.com
N:TG4 Frances Mooney Tribute show: John Kelly’s/Merry N:Sisters/Silver Spear
N:Played by Paddy Glacklin and Micheal O’Domnhaill
Z:Bill Reeder
M:C|
L:1/8
DE|G2 G2 GABG|AGEG GABd|d2gd edBd|d2ed dBAE|!
G2 G2 GABG|AGEG GABd|d2gd edBG|1 A2 G2 GE:|2 A2 G2 A||!
Bd|e3e edBd|d3d dBAB|c3A B2dB|BAAG AGEG|!
G2 G2 GABG|AGEG GABd|d2gd edBG|1 A2 G2 GA:|2 A2 G2 2||

T:John Kelly’s
R:reel
S:YouTube.com
N:TG4 Frances Mooney Tribute show: John Kelly’s/Merry Sisters/Silver Spear
N:Played by Paddy Glacklin and Micheal O’Domnhaill
Z:Bill Reeder
M:C|
L:1/8
DE|G2 G2 GABG|AGEG GABd|d2gd edBd|d2ed dBAE|!
G2 G2 GABG|AGEG GABd|d2gd edBG|1 A2 G2 GE:|2 A2 G2 GA||!
Bd|e3e edBd|d3d dBAB|c3A B2dB|BAAG AGEG|!
G2 G2 GABG|AGEG GABd|d2gd edBG|1 A2 G2 GA:|2 A2 G2 G2||

That first version didn’t display correctly. I’ll try again.

Yeah, Bill - that’s more like the Belfast version I’ve heard.

Gosh I’m really shocked. That’s obviously the same tune but it’s really different. Sounds like it must be derived from a Scottish tune then, no?

It’s possible, Dow, but I’ve no evidence. Bill’s source above is Paddy Glackin, and I do have a recording of Kevin Glackin playing it somewhere, from RTE, so that’s a possible Donegal connection, which in traditional music terms, is only a shaky egg’s throw from Scotland. Would be nice to find out.

Isn’t the version above more barndance-like (or German if Donegal) than reel-like? I’m reminded of Mickey Callaghan’s hornpipe.. https://thesession.org/tunes/774

I’ve just read on the Fiddler’s Companion that "O’Callaghan was a neighbor of fiddle John Kelly’s in County Clare, from whom he learned the tune" - the "tune" being a different tune to this one, but at least it shows they swapped tunes. Is there something in this?

…is the name given to it on Paddy Glackin’s "Reprise". Washoo has kindly transcribed it for us here https://thesession.org/tunes/7130.

The URL of the Shelta band version of John Kelly’s is now http://shelta.pagesperso-orange.fr/Images/kelly.jpg

I transcribed this from Michael McGoldrick’s album “Arc”.

simple chords addition