Mama’s Pet reel

Also known as Casey At The Party, Mamma’s Pet, Mammy’s Pet, Paddy’s Pet, Peata Mamai, Timothy Downing.

There are 40 recordings of this tune.
This tune has been recorded together with

Mama’s Pet appears in 7 other tune collections.

Mama’s Pet has been added to 12 tune sets.

Mama’s Pet has been added to 151 tunebooks.

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Ten settings

1
X: 1
T: Mama's Pet
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|:(3GAG (3FGF EDEF|G2 BG dGBG|(3GAG FG EFGA|Beed BA A2|
(3GAG (3FGF EDEF|G2 BG dGBG|(3GAG FG EFGA|Beed BA A2:|
|:eA (3cBA eA (3cBA|G2 BG dGBG|eA (3cBA eA (3cBA|(3Bcd ed BA A2|
eA (3cBA eA (3cBA|G2 BG dGBG|efed BAGA|(3Bcd ed BA A2:|
Added by JMH .
2
X: 2
T: Mama's Pet
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
G2BG EGDE|G2BG dGBA|G2BG EGDG|Bded B2AB:|
dBGB d2de|dBGB ~e3g|dBGB deBd|eged B2AB|
dBGB dGBd|g2bg aged|~G3B ~A3B|d2ed B2AB||
3
X: 3
T: Mama's Pet
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
G2FG EG DF|G2AG DGBA|G2FG EGDG|(3Bcd ed BAGF|
GEED EDB,A,|G,B,~B,2 G,B,DF|G2FG EGDA|(3Bcd ed Bdgf||
eA (3cBA EAcA|BG~G2 DGBd|eA (3cBA EAcA|(3Bcd ed Bdgf|
e2dg egdB|~G3A BABd|edef g2af|g2fg edBA||
4
X: 4
T: Mama's Pet
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
G2FG EG DE|G2BG dGBG|G2FG EFGA|(3Bcd ed (3Bcd AB|
FEED EDBA|GB B2 GB B2|FEED EFGA||(3Bcd ed (3Bcd gf||
eAA2 eAA2|B~G3|DGBd|eAA2 eAA2|(3Bcd ed (3Bcd gf|
e2dg edBA|~G3A BABd|edef gfge|g2fg edBA||
5
X: 5
T: Mama's Pet
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
G2FA EADG|~G2BG dGBA|G2FA EADG|Beed ~B2AB:|
dBGB d2de|dBGB ~e2eB|dBGB d2Bd|eged ~B2AB|
dBGB d2Bd|g2ag egdB|~G2GB A2GA|Beed ~B2AB||
6
X: 6
T: Mama's Pet
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|~G2 FG EGDE|G2 (3BAG dGBA|~G2 FG EGDG|Bd{f}ed BA{B}AB|
G2 FG EGDE|G2 (3BAG dGBA|~G2 FG EGDG|Bd{f}ed BAAe|
dG(3BAG d3e|dgbg abge|dG(3BAG d2GA|Bd{f}ed BA{B}Ae|
dG(3BAG d3e|dgbg abg2|G2GB ~A2GA|Bd{f}ed BA{B}AB|
7
X: 7
T: Mama's Pet
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
(3DEF|S(G2 F)(G EGD)(F|G2) BG dGBG|(G2 F)(G EFD)c|Bee(d B)cAB|
(G2 F)(G EFD)F|(GABc) dBAB|(G2 F)(G EFD)A|Beed B2A2||
(BAGA) Bc d2|(Be)(ed Bcd2)|(BAGA) (Bc)d2|(Be)(ed) B2A2|
(BAGA) Bc d2|(Be)(ed Bc d2)|{F}G2 G(B A2) Ac|Beed B2A2S||
8
X: 8
T: Mama's Pet
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
G2FG EGDE|G2BG dGBG|G2FG EFGA|Bded B2AF|
(3FGF ED EDEF|GBB2 GBAF|(3FGF ED EFGA|Bded B2gf||
eAA2 eAA2|B~G3 Bcdg|eAA2 edBA|Bded B2gf|
e2dg edBA|GFGA BABd|e3f gfef|g2fg edBA||
9
X: 9
T: Mama's Pet
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
G2FG E2DE|G2BG DGBG|G2FG E2GA|Bded B2AF|
G2FG E2DE|G2BG DGBG|G2FG E2GA|Bded B2Bc||
dBGB d2Bc|dBGB e2dc|dBGB d2Bd|eged B2Bc|
dBGB d2Bd|g2b2 egdB|G3B AGAB|dfgd B2AF||
10
X: 10
T: Mama's Pet
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
G2BG EGDE|G2BG dGBA|G2BG EGD2|B/c/d ed BAAB:|
dBGB d3e|dBGB ~e3g|dBGB dGBd|eged BAAB|
dBGB dGBd|g2bg egdB|~G3B ~A3B|dged BAAB||

Twenty-nine comments

Another One

Of course, this is not the one previously posted here and, I think, more widely played as Mama’s Pet.

This version is “mostly” based on Kevin Crawford’s playing, which I like the best. But it originally comes from the renowned flute player, Eddie Moloney from East Galway.

While Michael McGoldrick plays this tune between Rathlin Island and Sailor on the Rock, I’ve been playing after Tommy Peoples’ in G. It’s a lovely set.

“Mama’s Pet” from East Galway

This great flute tune appears on Catherine and John McEvoy’s recent album. Interestingly, Catherine’s version comes from East Galway and is in fact associated with Eddie Moloney. Michael McGoldrick’s version is also very similar, and I believe it can also be traced back to Eddie Moloney: M. McGoldrick writes he learned it from Frankie Gavin’s playing.

P.S. Sorry for my fragile English in the previous comment. Still not perfect though. And sorry for having posted this tune in D.

Mama’s Pet

I just learnt a fiddle variant of this from someone at my local session. It goes down low in the A-part and is single w/o repeats, not double:

X: 1
T: Mama’s Pet
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
G2FG EG DF|G2AG DGBA|G2FG EGDG|(3Bcd ed BAGF|
GEED EDB,A,|G,B,~B,2 G,B,DF|G2FG EGDA|(3Bcd ed Bdgf||
eA (3cBA EAcA|BG~G2 DGBd|eA (3cBA EAcA|(3Bcd ed Bdgf|
e2dg egdB|~G3A BABd|edef g2af|g2fg edBA||

Both tunes get played at our session, but I’m told that this one with the Ador B-part is an older setting than the one in Yamadasan’s link. Can anyone confirm this?

Mama’s Pet

It seems the version with both parts in Gmaj was originally a very local East Galway setting, played by Eddie Moloney of Ballinakill. Kevin Crawford, Michael McGoldrick, Frankie Gavin, Catherine McEvoy, and many others recorded and popularised Eddie Moloney’s setting of the tune. Most of them mention Eddie as the direct or indirect source in the notes.

Mama’s Pet

When I visited a friend a couple of weeks ago, I found he had Joe Burke’s flute recording “The Tailor’s Choice.” As a man from East Galway, Burke in fact plays this Ballinakill version in the Moloneys’ style. Here’s the East Galway version of “The Sailor on the Rock”: https://thesession.org/tunes/765#comment166939 M. McGoldrick and Frankie Gavin play it after Mama’s Pet.

From The Mountain Road (Sligo)

I’ve just painstakingly noted the abc for the version that goes along with the Sunny Banks on this album. I probably missed the ornaments, but I think that the transcription is pretty close. I’m somewhat baffled by the c situation. It seems to be midway between cnatural and c#.
T:Mama’s Pet
M:4/4
L:1/8
T:Mama’s Pet
D:Mountain Road (Sligo)
R:reel
K:Gmaj
G2FG EG DE|G2BG dGBG|G2FG EFGA|(3Bcd ed (3Bcd AB|
FEED EDBA|GB B2 GB B2|FEED EFGA||(3Bcd ed (3Bcd gf||
eAA2 eAA2| B~G3|DGBd|eAA2 eAA2| (3Bcd ed (3Bcd gf|
e2dg edBA|~G3A BABd|edef gfge|g2fg edBA||

Mama’s Pet (Sligo Version)

It seems Michael Coleman recorded and popularised this Sligo version in 60’s. Joe Burke insists the East Galway version I happened to post is the original and older than the Sligo version. We need to take his comment with a grain of salt simply because he’s a Galway man!

I only heard the Sligo version played by Tyrone fiddler John Weir on the radio around a couple of years ago. He has made a beautiful recording called “An Tris Is A Rian” with Claire Keville and Eithne Ni Dhonaile.

Mama’s Pet (sligo version)

This is not the same version at all as what I just transcribed

I tend to agree with Slainte that the tune Andreal posted is basically the same as #902 in the link above. I can see where there are big differences in the setting but same idea.
BTW the “c” situation especially in some older recordings is sometimes referred to as ‘supernatural’ as it isn’t quite natural and isn’t quite up to the sharp either.

“Andreal”, I never suggested the version you posted above and those JMH and Dow had done are identical. But they are all from Sligo, so why not put your valueble contribution on the comments of the other one?

For the record

For anyone who cares, the “Mama’s Pet” that appears on Cathal McConnell’s “Long Expectant Comes at Last” is a jig, and as far as I can gather has no connections to the reel version posted here. From what the liner notes say, the “Mama’s Pet” that he plays comes from “Sean MacAloon, a piper and fiddler from Altawalk, Roslea, Co. Fermanagh”, and there is a song connected with it that is about a man who tries to escape his wife by fleeing to Scotland.

Set

I play this reel after Eddie Maloney’s No.2.
It goes well with any tune in E min.

Antón MacGabhann = Tony Smith

Michael Coleman

He recorded this tune in New York in 1921 according to the notes in the tune book The Mountain Road, notation of tunes from the cd of the same name. On that cd it is played after The Sunny Banks.

For the record

“For anyone who cares, the ”Mama’s Pet“ that appears on Cathal McConnell’s ”Long Expectant Comes at Last“ is a jig, and as far as I can gather has no connections to the reel version posted here. ”

The jig “Mama’s Pet” on Cathal McConnell’s ’Long Expectant Comes at Last" is posted here: https://thesession.org/tunes/8646

Casey at the Party - Frank Quinn

This tune was recorded in September 1922 by Frank Quinn (1893-1964) of Greagh, Drumlish, Co. Longford entitled “Casey at the Party”.

Mama’s Pet, X:4

Here is what I heard Eddie Maloney playing on the “Flute Geezers” tape, except
I have added concertina ornaments (but they would work on most instruments).

Mama’s Pet, X:5

This appears in O’Neill’s Dance Music of Ireland - 1001 Gems (1907), p. 108, no. 591, as Downing’s Reel, Cor Uí Duibnaig.
According to tunearch.org, this tune is also known as Timothy Downing, Peata Mamai, Mama’s Pet, Mammy’s Pet, The First House in Connaught.