The Old Maids Of Galway reel

This is Liz Carrol’s chewy setting from her Lost in the Loop cd of an otherwise fairly straight-laced tune. She kicks it from the more common D/Bm into Gm/Bb and then swings the heck out of it.

I really like the syncopation Liz gets from hanging on those long notes and using a pulse in her bow pressure to blur them into the following phrase, a common trait in her playing nowadays.

I’ll also post the more session-friendly version in D tomorrow.

Thanks, Will *very* much! I love Liz’s version of this tune…wish it was more session friendly…!

Zina

This one, and Michael Kennedy’s–she takes the same approach to both and they’re a lot of fun to play along with the cd on. Wouldn’t it be great to teach Liz’s Old Maid of Galway to your session mates and *make* it session friendly? Heh, at least if you and I both know it, and we ever end up in the same pub or coffee house, *we* can have a little session….

I’m also hearing her play measure 2 and 6 of the A part as |CDB,C DCDF|. Have to confess…I transcribed this based on listening to the track on Green Linnet’s web site, using an outdated Realplayer. So it’s a bit grainy. And Liz throws a few variations in….

Yes, and Billy (Lizzy) in the Lowground – it’s *such* a very cool set. Blink 182 adds aside. 🙂

Sooner or later, we really are going to have to end up in the same place for a session, Will.

Zina

This is the more common setting of the tune Liz Carroll based her “Old Maid of Galway” on (posted yesterday). Liz’s version is so different, if that were all you knew, you’d probably end up solo with it at any session (‘cept perhaps in Chicago). In fact, you could go from the trad setting to Liz’s (from Bm to Gm), and most folks would think you were playing two completely different tunes.

The setting here works well either up tempo or as a slow reel. If you choose to slow it down, consider playing those scratch triplets as rolls. It’s also nice to slide into those quarter note E’s and B’s.

This sounds very like a tune Barney McKenna used to play, called “Paddy’s Gone To France”, but it started off in Em. I think it’s in Breathnachs Vol. 1

Good ear/eye Kenny. It is in fact the same tune. Breathnach’s notes in Vol 1 also give the titles Old Maid of Galway, the Green Meadows, the Ballina Lass, and the Hag’s Reel.

I know this tune by this name and in the key of Emin.

While a student in pre-unification Berlin in the late 70s I used to play with an Irish/Austrian band and one of the lads used to sing the following line to the B part - “Paddy’s gone to France and he’s never coming back again” - or sometimes the A part as the fancy took him.

The Old Maids of Galway (aka. Paddy Gone to France)

I’ve added this one to my tune book, just in case. 🙁

Well this is how I know it and I could not find it by this title or key so I put it up.

Have you read Jack’s comment?

“Johnnie When I Die, Burry Me In Kerry”
I know this tune by this name and in the key of Emin.
# Posted on Thursday, August 18th 2005 by The Phantom Button

Unseen, of course I don’t mean to suggest your post should be deleted, pointing out the tune was posted in a different key with a different title. Different enough to deserve its own entry, perhaps.

No hard feelings slainte. This is a fun tune though.

Key signature: Gminor
Submitted on September 19th 2002 by Will Harmon.
https://thesession.org/tunes/976

It’s listed as “The Achill Sound” in Walton’s “Session Tunes” books.

I’ve been playing the tune on the flute like this:

K: Emin
f|eB~B2 eBdB|A2GA Bddg|eB~B2 eBdB|ABGA BGG2|
eB~B2 eBdB|A2GA BGGF|G2Bd egdB|ABGA BGG||
z|gbag egdg|bgag ea~a2|gbag egdB|ABGA BGG2|
gbag egdg|bgag ea~a2|g2fg egdB|ABGA BGG||

I admit it’s *mostly* based on Harry Bradley’s flute setting. Not to be confused with George White’s Favourite: https://thesession.org/tunes/718

On Mick O’Brien and Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh’s Kitty Li Over they call this Paddy Gone to France.

Funnily enough, Teada recorded it as “Johnny’s Gone to France.”

X: 1
T: Paddy gone to France
C: as played by Nils Nolte
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Bmin
dc||BE ~E2 B2AF|EFDE FA A2|BE ~E2 B2AF|EFDE FD D2|
BE ~E2 B2AF|EFDE FA A2|BAFA dBAF|EFDE FD D2:|
dfed BAFA|dfed Be e2|dfed B2 AF|EFDE FD D2|
dfed BAFA|dfed Be e2|fdef dBAF|EFDE FD D2:||

Watch June McCormack and Michael Rooney play this: http://www.custysvideo.com/video/michaelrooneyjunemccormack_video.mpg The reel set starts after the jig set in the generously long clip. Beautiful. Their version is very similar to the one I transcribed above.

The West Mabou Reel
Key signature: G Major
Submitted on November 17th 2007 by benhockenberry.
https://thesession.org/tunes/7980

there is a differrent version of JGTF in Allans Irish Fiddle that lends it self to fast and furious fiddling :D

beed b ag fdad fdad beed b etc ( sorry i do not know ABC properly )

Try: The Keel Row https://thesession.org/tunes/3637 (incl. lyrics)

Here’s a transposition into a more session-friendly key signature and note range:

X: 1
T: Old Maid of Galway, The
M: 2/2
L: 1/8
R: Reel
K: Bdor
|: A | BFF/F/F BFAF | EFDE FBBA | B4 BFAF | EFDE FBdc |
BFF/F/F BFAF | EFDE FBBA | B3c dcBA | E/E/EFA B3 :|
|: c | d2cd B3c | dBcA Bee2 | d2cd B2AF | E2DE FBBc |
d2cd B3c | dBcA Bee2 | efed B2AF | E2DE FBB :|

As best as I can make out tonight from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5bCOIQd2nk

play video

Closer to the old Murphy et al recordings than what’s posted above.

X: 1
T: Johnny When You Die
S: Seamus Creagh & Jackie Daly
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|eBdB e2 dB|A2 GA BA A2|[1 eBdB e2dB|A2 GA BGG2:|[2 GB~B2 GBdB|A2 GA BG G2|
g2 fg egd2|g2 fg eaa2|[1 g2 fg e2dB|A2 GA BG G2:|[2 gbag e2dB|A2 GA BG G2|

This is as it was taught at Ceol Aneas in New Zealand by David Doocey.

X: 1
T: The Old Maids Of Galway
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Bmin
|:B~F3 BFAF|E2DE F~A3|B~F3 BFAF|E2DE FAdc|
B~F3 BFAF|E2DE FAcd|~B3c dBAF|1 E2DE FAdc:|2 E2DE FABc||
|:~d3c B2AB|cded Beec|dfed B2AF|DEFA ~B3c|
~d3c B2 AB|cded Beec|dfed B2AF|DEFA ~B3c:||

Slainte’s link to June and Michael seems to be defunct, but here’s the same clip on YT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaRjy6bFsMA

play video

The reel set starts at ~3:40.

here: https://thesession.org/tunes/12808

Regards
David

It’s listed as “In To The Room I Want You” on the fantastic album “As it Happened” by Danny O’Mahony and Micheál Ó Raghallaigh:
https://thesession.org/recordings/4173

A DC seisiun version, and very close to the Cherish the Ladies version.