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The West Cork reel

Also known as An Spailpin Fanach, Spailpin Fanach, Tom Sullivan’s, Tom Sullivan’s Polka, Tom’s.

There are 12 recordings of this tune.

The West Cork appears in 1 other tune collection.

The West Cork has been added to 4 tune sets.

The West Cork has been added to 38 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Three settings

1
X: 1
T: The West Cork
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
Bcde fddc|dggf ~g3a|b2ag fdde|1 fdcA ~G3A:|2 fdcA G2ga||
bgag fdda|bgaf ~g3a|bgag fdde|fdcA G2ga|
bgag fdda|bgab c'2ba|bgag fdde|fdcA ~G3A||
2
X: 2
T: The West Cork
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
Bcde fddc|dggf g3a|b2ag fdde|fdcA G3A|
Bcde fddc|dggf g3a|b2ag fdde|fdcA G2ga||
bgag fdda|bgaf g3a|bgag fdde|fdcA G2ga|
bgag fdda|bgab c'2ba|bgag fdde|fdcA G3A||
3
X: 3
T: The West Cork
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
FGAB cAAG|Addc d3e|f2ed cAAB|cAGE D3E|
FGAB cAAG|Addc d3e|f2ed cAAB|cAGE D2de||
fded cAAe|fdec d3e|fded cAAB|cAGE D2de|
fded cAAe|fdef g2fe|fded cAAB|cAGE D3E||

Seven comments

Tommy Keane & Jacqueline McCarthy

From the album notes from “The Wind Among the Reeds” https://thesession.org/recordings/61

“The West Cork Reel was learnt from the playing of John Kelly who had been a member of Seán Ó Riada’s folk orchestra, Ceoltóirí Chualann. The tune, of which there is also a polka version, was collected by Ó Riada in west Cork. ”

An octave lower

I am just starting to learn this tune now, but I find reaching up to the 8th fret quite challenging (tenor banjo). This tune can be played one full octave lower on the banjo than the notation above, and there’s a lot less stretching involved. Would that just sound too out of place, playing two octaves below fiddles etc, or might it work well in the mix?

Tash Ó Treasaigh

Yay a tenor banjo player!