Traditional Music Group
Postponed due to Covid. We will be back!
The trad group meets on Thursdays at lunchtime in the Audio-visual room downstairs in the first year corridoor at about 1.10 pm. Currently it is led by Mr O`Connell though many other teachers and students from all years are actively involved. We have people who play all instruments including people who are just learning. So feel free to come along and enjoy the music. If you have any ideas for anything else including links we should add to this page please e-mail the Web Editor as in Contact above.
Tunes we play currently
The following is a list of tunes we are playing at the moment or trying to learn. We will add links to many of these tunes giving the music notation, ABC notation or sound files to enable you to learn them the way that suits you best. Until then look them up on
Tunes we often play together are grouped together. We play a lot more tunes that are not listed below including recently a few composed or arranged by members of our Music department. Music software tips to help you learn tunes are given below under Top Tips. The first few notes of some tunes are given after the title in ABC notation to get you started.
The Lark in the Morning (Jig – 4 part)
Three Sea Captains
The Old Favorite (Jig)
Sport – Peadar O’Riada (Jig)
Liverpool Hornpipe
Blackthorn Stick (Jig) –
Tripping Up the Stairs (Jig)
Kesh Jig (Jig)
Rolling in the Rye Grass (Reel)
Cooley`s Reel (Reel)
The Sligo Maid (Reel)
Merrily Kissed the Quaker (Slide) – thesession.org See Setting 8 (X:8) (Close to the version we play)
Star above the Garter (Slide) – thesession.org See X:1
Haste to the Wedding (Jig) – A|:”D”AFA Agf| – thesession.org See Setting 4 (X:4)
Saddle the Pony (Sackow`s) (Jig) – D|:GBA G2B| – thesession.org See X:1
Father O’Flynn’s (Jig) – |: A |dAF DFA | Bed cBA | – thesession.org See Setting 2 (X:2) (Close to the version we play)
Sonny`s Mazurka (Mazurka) – |:DF|A2 AG FA|d2 – thesession.org See X:1
Gan ainm (Mazurka)
Gan ainm (Mazurka)
Harvest Home (Hornpipe)
The Boys of Blue Hill (Hornpipe)
Kerry Polka 1 (in A) (Polka)
Kerry Polka 2 (Polka)
John Ryan`s Polka (Polka)
Wheels of the World (Jig)
The rolling wave (Jig)
My Darling Asleep (Jig)
The Wind that Shakes the Barley (Reel)
Silver Spear (Reel)
Inis Oirr (Carolan)
Fanny Power (Carolan)
The Gold Ring (Piping Version) (Jig) ig (7 parts) – thesession.org See Setting 3 (X:3)
Planxty Irwin (Carolan)
The Three Sea Captains (Set Dance)
Strike the Gay Harp (Jig)
Tunes we often play
St. Anne`s Reel (Reel)
Boyne Hunt (Reel)
Merry Blacksmith (Reel)
Rolling in the Ryegrass (Reel)
Tobin`s favourite (Jig)
Lilting Banshee (Jig)
Knocknaboul Polka 1 (Polka)
Knocknaboul Polka 2 (Polka)
Peeler`s Jacket (Reel)
Reavy`s (Reel)
Drowsy Maggie (Reel)
Sporting Pitchfork (Jig)
Rambling Pitchfork (Jig)
Madame Bonaparte (Long Dance)
Kildare Fancy (Hornpipe)
Galway Hornpipe (Hornpipe)
Alexander`s (Hornpipe)
Cronin`s Hornpipe (Hornpipe)
Give me Your Hand/Tabhair dom do Lámh (Carolan Waltz)
Sí Bheag Sí Mhór/Sheebeg Sheemor (Carolan)
Kid on the Mountain (Slip Jig)
An Phis Fliuch (Slip Jig)
Tunes we used to play
The foxhunter Slip (Jig)
She was the proud one Slip (Jig)
Top Tips and Useful Software Apps
On Windows computers when you click on the MIDI button in thesession.org it opens up Windows Media Player to play the tune. In Windows Media Player if you want to play the tune a little slower right click in the window and select Enhancements and then Play Speed Settings. Then click on e.g. 0.5 to play the tune at half speed. This works for most types of sound files e.g. .wma, .cdr but not .wav for some reason. You can always download a file converter to convert your music file to a format that works.
If a tune is in the wrong key for your instrument you can download Audacity for free. Then use a converter as above to convert the file to .wav or other suitable format for Audacity. Then look up on you tube how to change the key to change a tune that is in B flat for example to D.
Any more tips? Please e-mail them to the Web Editor as in Contact above. There is an App that recognises the name of a tune if you input the first few notes.
Links to Traditional Music
Google: Comhaltas
Google various groups and artists e.g. Planxty, Chieftains, Clannad, De Danann, Donal Lunny.
