The Banks Of Lough Gowna jig

This is a modern composition attributed to Paddy O’Brien, though it sounds really traditional. Quite popular tune. This version was found at "JC’s ABC Tune Finder.

This is in fact a traditional tune which pre-dates Paddy O’Brien and is listed in the "O’Neill’s 1001" collection (Tune No. 264). It’s a great jig and, for fiddles, works even better taken down a tone (ie ABA AGE| EDE C,EG| etc.) which is probably the more common way of playing it at Clare sessions.

There’s a slightly different Aminor version, something like:

~A3 AGE | EDE ~G3 |~A3 AGE | c2d edc | ~A3 AGE | EDE GAB | cde ged | cAA A3 :|
:cde ~g3 | gea ged | cde ~g3 | geg ~a3 | cde ~g3 | gea ged | cde ged | cAA A3 :||

Paddy O’Brien composed a tune called "The Boys of Lough Gowna", which is in his book, it’s a lovely Jig,
John

I’m really ashamed of this very early post of mine. I naively believed what is said in the sleeve notes of Claire Mann’s album, but it seems she or her friend mixed up this tune with "The Boys of Lough Gowna."

Here is what I play now:

~B3 BAF|FEF DFA|BdB BAF|d2e fed|
~B3 BAF|FEF DFA|def geg|fdB B2A:|
def ~a3|afb afe|dFA def|gag fdB|
def ~a3|afb afe|def geg|fdB B2A:|

It’s not so much different, but I believe my version is influenced by Grey Larsen’s. His concertina playing of this tune is really touching.

My thanks to Cheshire Puddy Tat for helping figure out how to find more tune names!

I heard this B minor variant in NYC at the beginning of the summer

X: 2
T: Banks Of Lough Gowna
T: From a NY Session - B minor
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
Q:400
R: Reel
K: Bmin
|:B2 B BAF| FEF DFA |B2 B B^AB|
| d2 e fed|B2 B BAF| FEF DFA |
|def gfe|1 fdB B2 z:|2 fdB B2 A:|
|:def a3 | afb afe|d2A def|
|gfe fdB| def a3 |afb afe |
|def gfe |1 fdB B2A:|2 fdB dBA:|

Just wanted to share this…

You’re welcome, bledsoeo—glad I could help.

Your setting there is very close to a version John Carty taught at a workshop this summer.

same name different tune

X: 1
T: lough gowna
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
AB |: cAB cBc| dcd ede| ~A3 cde | dcA AGE|
cAB cBc| dcd ~e3| ~a3 ged |1cAG A2 B:|2cAG A2d|
|: eaa aba|gef ~g3|eaa aba |ged cAA|
eaa eaa| gef ~g3| ~a3 ged| cAG A2d:|

I think I learned this from the movie The Secret of Roan Inish many years ago.

This is a version of The Banks of Lough Gowna. Someone has already transcribed it: https://thesession.org/tunes/775/comments#comment9161

Another version of this great tune…
jig
Key signature: Adorian
Submitted on December 24th 2008 by Nasen.

X: 1

T: Banks of Lough Gowna
M: 6/8

L: 1/8

R: jig

K: Ador

ABG AGE|EDE G3|ABG AGE|c2d edc|

ABG AGE|EDE G3|cde ged|1 BcB A2G:|2 BcB A2B||

cde g2a|gea ged|cde g2a|geg a2B|

cde g2a|gea ged|cde ged|1 cAA A2B:|2 BcB A3|]

On Dublin Made Me.

Their version is different enough, but obviously the same tune.

second tune in this set, as I would hear it… (i.e. the tone lower because of the C concertina rather than the setting)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p44lBEK0S6c

play video

…sorry, I’m talking rubbish, it’s friday, ignore that 🙂

I discoverd the following while learning this tune from my wife.

O’Neill’s version and the version posted above by bogman have the repeat of the initial ascending figure starting on the first beat of measure 3:

" | def geg | " in the B minor version.

In contrast, the main version shown above has the ascending figure delayed to beat 2 of measure 3, the climb being delayed by an extraneous set of three notes (dFA) introduced on beat one.

This somewhat ragged or asymetrical version must be getting a lot of play, since it is in fact essentially the same as the version my wife was taught (in A minor) by harper Grainne Hambly.

This is not a minor problem, as you must know which version your colleagues will be playing to avoid a big clash on B.

Here’s an interesting version by the Mulcahy’s, the third tune. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrk78FTY6tQ

play video

sorry, meant the second tune.

X: 1

T: Banks of Lough Gowna
S: Ronan Browne & Peadar O’Loughlin - South West Wind
M: 6/8

L: 1/8

R: jig

K: Amix

~A3 AGE|EDE ~G3|~A3 AGE|=c2d ed^c|

~A3 AGE|EDE GAB|cde ged|1 cAA A2G:|2 cAA A2B||

|:cde g2a|gea ged|cde g2a|geg a2B|

cde g2a|gea ged|cde ged|1 cAA A2B:|2 BcB Adc|]

Listen to Ronan Browne play the Amin version of the tune: http://www.itma.ie/digitallibrary/sound/banks-lough-gowna-browne

The particular version probably comes from the piping of Willie Clancy.

I like playing the Am version with the High Part of the Road, which is often associated with W. Clancy.

Where does the "Pride of Rockchapel" title come from? If that’s the Rockchapel in North Cork, I have to think that this is the source of the Cordal Jig, which would’ve been made popular by Patrick O’Keeffe but came from Tom Billy, who spent some time in Rockchapel himself…
https://thesession.org/tunes/864

The Pride of Rockchapel title is from a Paddy Killoran 45 - yes, a 45 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUWqsVhb7EA Like the Maids of Mount Kisco, which Killoran supposedly composed, I always figured Rockchapel was some little burg in NY state.

play video

This setting is an attempt at transcribing Paddy Killoran’s setting as played in the recording Kevin Rietmann shared above. The Mick Conneely & David Munnelly and Peter & Angelina Carberry versions seem to be based on this Killoran version.

Another great version in Bm from the The Calum Stewart Trio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0HB0FQyesY

play video

What’s the name of the second and third tunes played by The Calum Stewart Trio in the video ?

don’t know the middle tune but the last one is ‘Drummond Castle’

The second tune in Calum’s set here is ‘The Mouse in the Cupboard:’
https://thesession.org/tunes/1454

Thank you very much, i’ll definitively add this set to my repertory

https://thesession.org/tunes/9202

Transcribed from the Calum Stewart Trio version, linked above.

From the playing of Robin James Hurt.

Setting from Perpetual e-Motion.

From the playing of Connemara, transposed from Emin.

From the playing of Máire Breatnach & company.

From the playing of Rodney Miller.

From the playing of Brigham Phillips & John Herberman.

some chords on X:1

Here’s The Banks Of Lough Gowna on mandolin (based on setting X:1):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eiqhVmSPcs

play video

transscription based on the Calum Stewart Trio’s version

https://youtu.be/K71jjRUPUqE

play video