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The Old Blackthorn reel

Also known as An Sean-draighneán, The Blackthorn Stick, The Blackthorn, The Blackthorne Stick, Clear The Road, The Inch Of Garth, The Jolly Clamdigger, The Jolly Clamdiggers, The Old Black Thorn, The Old Blackthorn Stick, The Old Blackthorne, Rafferty’s, Rising Sun, The Rising Sun, Strone Johnny.

There are 43 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with Ger The Rigger (a few times), The Blackbird (a few times), The Exile Of Erin (a few times), The Humours Of Tulla (a few times) and The Killarney Boys Of Pleasure (a few times).

The Old Blackthorn has been added to 13 tune sets.

The Old Blackthorn has been added to 334 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Six settings

X: 1
T: The Old Blackthorn
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
| d2FB AFEF | D2dc BABc | dF~F2 dFAF | GBAF Dgfe |
d2FB AFEF | D2dc BABc | dF~F2 AF~F2| GBAF D4 ||
|: d2 (3fed egfd | A2 (3cBA eAcA | defg ~a2ab | afeg fddc :|
X: 2
T: The Old Blackthorn
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|: d2 FB AFEF | D2 dc BABc | dF F2 AF F2 | AFEF D2 fe |
d2 FB AFEF | D2 dc BABc | dF F2 AF F2 | AFEF D4 :|
|:defd (3efg ec | A2 cA EAcA | defg e2 fg | abag fgfe |
defd (3efg ec | A2 cA eAcA |defg e2 fg | abag fgfe :|
X: 3
T: The Old Blackthorn
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
BA|GDB,E DB,A,B,|G,DGF EDEF|GB,~B,2 DB,A,B,|CEDB, G,2BA|
GDB,E DB,A,B,|G,DGF EDEF|GB,~B,2 DB,A,B,|CEDB, G,2G,D||
GABG AB (3cBA|D2 (3FED ADFD|GABG A2Bc|dBcA BGAF|
GABG AB (3cBA|D2 (3FED ADFD|GABc d3c|BdAc BGBA|]
X: 4
T: The Old Blackthorn
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
fe|d2FABAFA|D2dcBABc|dFF1/2F1/2F AFF1/2F1/2F|GBAFD2fe|
|d2FABAFA|D2dcBABc|dFF1/2F1/2F AFF1/2F1/2F|GBAFD4|
|d2fdegfe|A2c1/2B1/2AeAc1/2B1/2A|defga2ab |afegfdec|
|d2 fdegfe |A2c1/2B1/2AeAc1/2B1/2A|defga2ab|afged4|
X: 5
T: The Old Blackthorn
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
fe |: d2 FB AFEF | D2 FA B2Bc | dF ~F2 AF ~F2 | GBAF D2 fe |
d2 FB AFEF | D2 FA BABc | dF ~F2 AF ~F2 | GBAF D4 :|
|:d2fd eg ec | A2 cA eAcA | defg a2 ba | afeg fddc |
defd eg ec | A2 cA eAcA |defg a2 ba | afef d4 :|
X: 6
T: The Old Blackthorn
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Fmaj
||e2|fAAd cAGA|Fffe dcde|fAAd cAFA|GFEG Fbag|
|fAAd cAGA|Fffe dcde|fAAd cAFA|GFEG F2~f2||
|f2a/g/f gbaf|c2 e/d/c gcec|fgab c'2 c'd'|c'agb af~f2|
|f2a/g/f gbaf|c2 e/d/c gcec|fgab c'2 c'd'|c'aga f4||

Eighteen comments

Jolly Clamdiggers

Shouldn’t this be in Dmaj?

Yes it should…those Cnats should be C Sharps.

“Jack McGuire’s” ~ etc. ~ another rescued duplication w/ comments

Key signature: D Major
Submitted on May 31st 2007 by JACKB.
~ /tunes/7290

X: 1
T: Jack McGuire’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
|: d2 FB AFEF | D2 dc BABc | dF F2 AF F2 | AFEF D2 fe |
d2 FB AFEF | D2 dc BABc | dF F2 AF F2 | AFEF D4 :|
|:defd (3efg ec | A2 cA EAcA | defg e2 fg | abag fgfe |
defd (3efg ec | A2 cA eAcA |defg e2 fg | abag fgfe :|

The Old Blackthorn

This is the Old Blackthorn which was recorded by Danú some time ago. It’s one of those tunes from the Sligo tradition (Coleman, Killoran or Morrison - I’m not sure which).

# Posted on May 31st 2007 by Bannerman

“Rising Sun” NOT?

Sometime ago I acquired the title "Rising Sun" as an alternative for "The Jolly Clamdiggers" but now realise that this is possibly incorrect as the reel "Rising Sun" already on this data-base is a completely different tune.

# Posted on May 31st 2007 by hetty

It’s on several recordings as “The Rising Sun”,

and I would think is older than Martin Mulhaire.

# Posted on May 31st 2007 by Kenny

Old Blackthorn

Sounds more like a barndance. There is a nice version on the album from The Blackthorn Band.

Transposed And Permutated

On Mick Moloney & Eugene O’Donnell’s album they play it in Gmaj.

And here it is:

X: 110
T: The Blackthorn Stick
M: C|
C: Trad
S: Mick Moloney / Eugene O’Donnell (#6.1)
Z: JQQ (10-23-2007)
K: Gmaj
BA|GDB,E DB,A,B,|G,DGF EDEF|GB,~B,2 DB,A,B,|CEDB, G,2BA|
GDB,E DB,A,B,|G,DGF EDEF|GB,~B,2 DB,A,B,|CEDB, G,2G,D||
GABG AB (3cBA|D2 (3FED ADFD|GABG A2Bc|dBcA BGAF|
GABG AB (3cBA|D2 (3FED ADFD|GABc d3c|BdAc BGBA|]

Nobody can play this tune like Joe Cooley did and if I’m not mistaken he credits the Flanagan Brothers as his source.

Posted by .

It sounds like the Morning Thrush.

Frank Quinn - Rafferty’s Reel

Frank Quinn (1893-1964) of Greagh, Drumlish, Co. Longford recorded this tune on the fiddle in 1926 under the title "Rafferty’s Reel". Coleman recorded it two years before him in 1924 entitled "The Real Blackthorn Stick". They share a similar first part but diverge on the second part.

The Old Black Thorn

THIS TUNE SHREDS! First heard this tune on the Chieftain’s album, "Water From the Well." They play it with "Within a Mile of Dublin" as the first tune. It’s a rippin’ set. I love this tune because it’s kinda tricky for the phrasing, but it isn’t crooked, so you can play it at a dance! Enjoy.

Duplicate…………..

https://thesession.org/tunes/720

Hi Wesley, welcome to "thesession". If you’re going to post a tune, it’s always best to do a search first to see if it’s already here.
You can either search on the tune title you have, or any of the words in it, or if as in this case, you’re posting a setting from a particular recording, look it up and see if the tune has already been posted - see link below.

https://thesession.org/recordings/192

This particular reel was posted here by Josh Kane 13 years ago.

Posted by .

The Old Blackthorn, X:5

Version roughly taken from Danu’s "Think Before You Think" album, where it follows their version of the Cameron Highlander. A pretty non-standard version, I’m sure, but my favorite.

The Old Blackthorn, X:6

As played at the session in O’Ceallaigh’s, Groningen, the Netherlands.