Irish Flute Tunes

The Australian Waters

I think this jig is associated with Jimmy Lyons, a fiddle player who came from Teelin in Co. Donegal.

The Knotted Cord

Here's a requested reel. I'm told that when asked was it a piece of string it replied that it was afraid not. I learned this as "Bridie Morley's" (or was it "The Bride Morley"?) from Packie Duignan's playing. The version in Ceol Rince na hÉireann vol 2, number 229, is almost the same as this. It's a great tune and thanks Mary for suggesting it.

Killoran's Polka

Here's another polka.  This one's from a wee bit further north.  It's a good tune for the flute.

The Groves of Gneeveguilla

Here's a popular polka.  I think I'm from a bit too far north to understand them but I can but try.

Cornelius Curtin's Big Balloon

This is a tune with a great name. I'll tidy up this post tomorrow. I'm feeling too vague just now. Today is now tomorrow and I'm fit to add that I heard this one on Paddy Carty's LP. It's named after "The Balloon" which was a pub in Fulham, London owned by Con Curtin from Kerry.

The Cloone

Here's a reel which can be found on a record of Tommy Peoples and Matt Molloy - all quite quick and E flattish as far as I remember.

John Doherty's Reel

I can't write much about this tune due to my having an industrial strength hangover to wrestle with.  I recorded this tune yesterday, before I went out.  I recall feeling quite well then.

Gallagher's Frolics

Here's a jig I was asked to put on.  I looked it up on the internet and got these particular "Google's Frolics".  I hope they are the correct frolics. I've known this tune for years but I never knew its name.  I've learned more tune names in the last 2 months than in the preceding 2 decades.

The Controversial Reel

I'm not sure why it is.

For The Sake Of Old Decency

Here's a nice plain reel.  It's on, among other places, "The Eagle's Whistle" LP of Michael Tubridy which is well worth a listen.

The Green Gowned Lass

Here's a good reel.  I must try excavating my Matt Molloy record which has this tune living in its groove.

The Bag of Spuds (2)

More potatoes (I was trying to remember this last night and then I saw it on the Chiff and Fipple site: http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=50746 - Fipple & Chips)

Tatter Jack Walsh

Here's a very common jig. The "Walsh" seems fairly interchangeable with "Welsh". The "Tatter Jack" bit refers to "An tAthair Jack", i.e. Father Jack.

The Fermoy Lasses

Here's a popular tune which is handy on most instruments. Judging from this recording the flute mightn't be one of them but that's just my fault. It sounds grand on the flute when other people play it. I had a bit of bother at the end (more Fermoy Losses than Lasses) as I heard the potatoes boiling over in the kitchen when I was nearly done. There should be enough of the tune intact up to that point to be able to get the idea of it.

The Bag Of Spuds

Here's today's carbohydrate ration in a reel.

The Maid At The Spinning Wheel

I usually can't remember which order the parts go in this tune.  They sort of go round and round.  Hopefully they're OKish here.

I Am Waiting For You

Here's a reel which I think I remember being on an LP of Julia and Billy Clifford.  I just stole it from O'Neill's 1001.  Only about another 987 to go.

The Real Of Bogie

Here's a good reel.  That's the main thing.

Gregg's Pipes

Here's Gregg's / Craig's / Greig's pipes. Surely Greig's ones were on a church organ. It's a good noise making opportunity for flute players. I know there's more to music that raucous rackets. I approach subtlety as I mature. I feel a bit of ageing in my water. I'm not sure how I feel about that feeling.

The Fairhaired Boy

I don't know whether this could refer to the young Tom Ennis. I'm starting to steal tunes from O'Neill tunes.  (158 / 1001 in this case).  I'm not nicking ones I don't know at all but I'm having to give my memory a kick in the backside the odd time.  Sometimes this can be a fairly risk-laden manoeuvre.

Young Tom Ennis

Here's a nice jig named after a by now fairly aged Tom Ennis.

The Tenpenny Bit

Tunes like this used to be two-a-penny.  I think they're now 7.1096488 a Euro.

The Gallowglass

Here's a nice jig.  I can't tell you a whole pile else about it.

Palm Sunday (jig)

Here's a popular jig.  I'm sure I heard it on a well known record of a very recognizable musician but my memory seems to have fled my head.

Mary of The Grove

Here's another request.  I'm afraid I don't know it too well and I just nicked it from the notes on the net.

Ríl Gan Ainm

I'm just after finding this mp3 file in my list.  I can't remember anything about it.  Going by the law of averages I'll call it Ríl Gan Ainm although I'm not 100% sure whether it's a reel really.  When I have access to a way of listening back to it (ears and all that kind of stuff) I'll check that I have even identified its species properly or whether I'm specifying this species speciously.

Martin Wynne's

Here's one I was asked to play. It sounds like Martin wins here but it sounds very unlikely that I will.  I'm a bit rusty on this tune so I looked it up.  I wouldn't swear by this version, or at it, I hope.

Gan Ainm (Molloy's Favourite?)

Here's a popular tune.  It might be called "Molloy's Favourite" but I know at least one other reel with that name but a different set of notes.  It's probably really got the same set of notes but in a different scatter pattern. I'm probably sounding as if I'm playing the flute with a mouthful of spiders (both in mine and the flute's mouth).  I hope the tune is discernible amongst all the effey hisses.  Is that in Turkey? Maybe someone can come up with a reliable name.

The Duke of Leinster

This is a good insistent sort of sounding reel.

Miss McLeod's Reel

Here's the commonest reel of them all. I managed to make a Mess McLeod's out of it towards the end but there are hopefully enough intact bits left to cobble a tune out of.

The Ballintra Lasses

This is a nice tune for the flute without too many twiddly bits. There's a version if it in Ceol Rince na hÉireann 5, number 192.

Jackson's Morning Breeze

Here's a very melodic jig. Mr. Jackson never let the midday pass him without his brush and his breeze.

The Blacksmith's Favourite

Here's a good reel from the Donegal fiddle playing repertoire. P.S. I'm sorry I've nothing to write about this batch of tunes. I recorded them all early this afternoon and was full of inspiration and of comments. The site was down at my time of greatest need and now, on my and its return, I'm just full of pints of stout and without a word in me to get out of me.

Gan Ainm

Here's a great flute tune.  There's a version of it in Ceol Rince na hÉireann vol 5, No. (# - I hope I didn't make a hash of my attempt to be trans Atlantic) 197.

Wallop the Spot

Here's a tune with a great name.

The Long Drop

Here's a tune I was asked to record. I looked up its name on the internet and found on www.thesession.org. I don't know it and I'm sort of rubbish at reading music but here's an attempt. It's on a Kevin Crawford CD so maybe that's a good place to go to hear it if you don't trust this version (I wouldn't trust me at all). I'm fairly poorly stocked in the flute CD department but I'll maybe go out and get that one myself. I hope this effort is of some use.

The Mouse in The Cupboard

I prefer mine in a sandwich. Here's a nice traditional sort of tune.

The First House in Connacht

Here's a good standard reel which is kind to flute players.

Larry O'Gaff

Here's a jig which is found on a lot of old recordings. I doesn't seem just as common now. I've yet to hear it on anything more recent than the latest Iron Maiden CD. (They made a great job of it).

The Dublin Reel

Here's a popular three part reel. I don't know much about it but believe it to be named after a city in the eastern part of Ireland. I'm meant to be doing something else at the moment and so had better go and attend to that thing.

Come West Along The Road

I'll have to follow that instruction shortly.  In the meantime, here's a reel.

The Fisherman's Lilt (The Kerryman's Daughter)

Here's a common reel with at least two names. I don't know what county the fisherman was from.

The Abbey Reel

Here's a good tune. My favourite thing about it is that is has hardly any notes in it. I always think of "ABCD Goldfish" when I hear this reel. Google will know what I mean.

Kevin Burke's Reel

Here's another tune I found behind the sofa.  I think I hadn't put it on the site due to the mess I made of playing it.  At the moment I haven't a whole pile to choose from so here it is anyway.  As I said just now,  there'll be better efforts on soon.  Promises promises.  (Honest, Guv).

Murphy's Reel ????

I don't think this really is Murphy's Reel.  It's a common enough reel but I've forgotten its name.  Can someone enlighten me? What with one thing and another I've not had a chance to put on tunes today.  I have just found this one lurking on my computer from when I put it there ages ago.  I'll hopefully get a chance to record a few more in the next couple of days.  After that I'll have more time. Thanks for your patience.

Over the Moor to Maggie

Here's a very popular reel. I'm trying to pick tunes than don't have names starting with "The". I'm sorry for messing up the index with all the thes. As for going over the moor; I think a few bog-holes got me an the way. I seem to have fallen foul of a hummock or two too. I can't settle today. Hopefully normal service will resume shortly.

Down The Broom

Here's a real flute / fiddle tune. I'm not sure how I ended the last part first time round. I think there's maybe a better variation the next time. I can't bear to listen to it myself. I don't know what "Down The Broom" is meant to mean. Maybe it's a bit like sword-swallowing with bristles.

Fergal O'Gara

Here's a reel called Fergal / Farrel / Fearghal / Anyone You Want O'Gara. It's a popular tune in sessions under all of its guises.

The Earl's Chair

I think one of its legs came off when I was playing it. Maybe I'll be able to get it made into a flute.

Páidín Ó Raifeartaigh (2)

The Rafferty's seem to have had a flair for picking names.  Here's another Páidín.  There were a few more of them as well.

Páidín Ó Raifeartaigh (1)

Here's the commonest Páidín from this family.

McDermott's Reel

I usually associate this tune with Seán McGuire. For one of Seán's offerings, it's a bit tame but that's a great help to those of us with fingers only numbered in single figures unlike dodecadigital demons of the late, great Mr. McGuire's ilk.

McGovern's Favourite

Here's a reel which I heard on a Paddy Killoran record.  I'm not sure how well I learned it but here is an approximation of how it goes.

The Connemara Stockings

I've not played much clothing related material so far. Here's a good garment based reel. I've played it double here. I'm not sure whether that's the proper way but it seemed appropriate for stockings.

Brendan McMahon's Reel

Here's a nice tune which shouldn't hut the fingers too much. I'm not so sure about the audial appendages.

Music in the Glen

Here's a popular reel.  It's so well known that I know absolutely nothing about it.

Paddy Taylor's Jig

Here's another one from your man.

Paddy Taylor's Reel (2)

Here's another Paddy Taylor reel. I never know the difference in this tune between C naturals / C sharps, the first part / the last part or how it goes / doesn't go. It's a bit like the trouble I have with semi-colons / commas / -s and so on; I hope this version isn't too much of a Cat astrophe.

Drag Her Round The Road

Sorry there's no picture with this one.  I did try.

The Connacht Heifers

Here's popular reel.  I've played it double here but it might really be single.  There was rain forecast today and I think I'm getting into Noah's Ark mode, not that two heifers would save the breed, or would they?  I'm not a vet.

The Silver Spire

Maybe this reel will be renamed "The Stiletto in the Ghetto" or "The Stiffey By the Liffey" in honour of the one in the picture.  It probably already has.  I'm usually a few years behind the times. I think the tune is also called John Brennan's Reel.

The Glory Reel

Here's a tune from the playing of the late Mickey and Francie Byrne from Kilcar in Donegal. I think the name comes from the Irish "Ríl na nGlórtha" meaning "The Reel of the Voices", rather than from its own, undeniably splendid qualities. It's great on the fiddle as the second part gives plenty of scope for growling - The Growly Reel. You can sort of hum while playing the flute to get a drone effect but that's really, or ought to be, a private activity. (This is as close as I remember it, Brendan)

Vincent Campbell's Highland

I have a tape of the Donegal fiddle player, Vincent Campbell, playing this highland. On the tape e says he got it from Mickey Doherty and that Mickey Doherty called it "The Iron Man".  He did, however cast some doubt on the reliability of Mr' Doherty's tune names. I'm starting to have to rattle my way past my skeletons and hoik out tapes in order to remind myself of tunes.  I might be saved by running out of storage space on the server at some stage but in the meantime I keep on rattling.

Joe Cooley's Hornpipe

I'm sure this one is actually le hAinm but I can't remember the name. It's on a very popular record - Noel Hill & Tony Linnane's LP. I've lost this record so I can't get the name of the tune. If someone can remember the name, please let me know and I'll update the title here. I've 2 suggestions now for the name. Is it now "Kitty's Wedding to Joe Cooley"? ... Joe Cooley seems to be in the lead at the moment.

Peter Street

Here's a reel which is sometimes played in A. I always thought it sounded a bit scary in that key. Here's a slightly less disturbing version in G.

Dunphy's Hornpipe

I'm still in hornpipe mode. The is a fairly common one and is also quite cheerful.

Galway Bay

Here's a popular hornpipe named after a bay named after a popular city. It's usually in G minor but I've played it here in A minor which is a bit more flutish. There's a fairly new sewerage treatment plant in Galway Bay. I don't know whether hornpipes were used in its construction or not.

The Galway Hornpipe

Here's a popular hornpipe named after a popular city.

The Gooseberry Bush

I think this reel was found under one.  I had a bit of a sour taste in my mouth when I was playing it; it mustn't have been ripe.  The fact that my mouth was curled up it the manner of a cow licking pee of a nettle might help explain why the playing is a bit more miss than hit.

The Achonry Lasses

I can't tell you much about this tune. This version is fairly close to the one Sonny McDonagh recorded for Brendán Breathnach's Ceol Rince na hÉireann Vol 2.

William Marshall's Strathspey

Here's a tune I heard on a Tommy Peoples record a good few years ago. The passage of time might explain how my memory of which note go where has gone who knows where. For a fiddle tune, I think it's OK for the flute.

The Maid That Left The Country

Here's a tune I learned years ago from a transcription of John Egan's flute playing. It was in a journal called "Ceol" which Brandán Breathnach used to produce in the 1960s. I used to go to the Central Library in Belfast in the 1980s and photocopy tunes from it. There may well be another name for this tune but I don't know it. I think it's a lovely, straightforward sort of tune. The grammar in the title might be slightly amiss but the notes are OK.

The Master's Return

Here's a reliable old reel. I'm not sure what kind of master it is whose return is being commemorated here but the outcome is fairly palatable in any case; not that I'm advocating that this tune should be eaten.

Paddy Taylor's Reel

Here's a reel from the playing of Paddy Taylor, a flute player from Abbyfeale in Co. Limerick who played a wooden Bohm flute.

Tim Maloney's Reel

I can't tell you much about this.  I think of it as one of those common tunes which I never hear.  There a lot of tunes with that air of virtual commonness about their airs (not sure about their grace-notes). I'm having to jog my memory by flicking through a few books to see the start of tunes.  This particular aide memoir lives in Ceol Rince na hÉireann Vol1.  I'll very likely be looking through Vols 2, 3, 4 (not sure about this one; it has some very strange things in it) and 5 to be reminded of more tunes.

Bímis ag Ól is ag Pógadh na mBan

Here's a jig called "Let us be drinking and kissing the ladies". I haven't really much to say about that. It's a good jig and a popular one. I believe some things in the title are also popular in certain quarters.

The Banshee

Here's a popular reel called after a Banshee / Bean Sí / Bean Sidhe. I think it's in the key of heebee G bee.

Andy McGann's

Here's a reel in "C" named after the great, late fiddle player, A McG. When I play tunes on the flute in "C" there always seems to be a slightly bronchial drainpipe sound going on. Sometimes the flute sounds funny too. Being a bit parochial, I usually associate this tune with a different, fairly recently lost fiddle player, Seán McGuire. Maybe I'll just call it McG's reel.

The Ladies of Gormond

Here's a highland. The playing is a bit more gormless than Gormond here but it is getting late and I find it hard to be otherwise.

George White's Reel

This is a fairly common tune.  I hope you like it.

Micko Russell's Reel

Here's a nice sparce reel Like lots of tunes that Micko Russell played, it is not cluttered by too many notes. So many tunes played these days sound like the putting to sound of a manuscript which just been sneezed on - by someone quite poorly at that. It's sometimes good to have simple things around too.

Out On The Ocean

Here's a very very very popular jig. One reason it's very very very popular is that it's fairly easy to learn.

O'Mahoney's Hornpipe

This might not be the "O'Mahoney's" you were expecting (as if people sit around expecting hornpipes of whatever name) but I noticed it under this name in "Ceol Rince na hÉireann Vol 2. I always just called it "do you know this one?". Brendán Breathnach took it down from Denis Murphy's playing for CRÉ 2. I'll go with the present name as I always believe what other people have written.

The Concert Reel

Here's a popular tune.  My only doubt is that I might have leaned it at a concert of something far removed from Irish traditional music.  Now I come to think of it, I'm fairly sure I've never been to a concert so I probably got the tune from a record so it should be OK.   I did get taken to the zoo once when I was about seven.

The Rosewood Jig

There might be something Scottish, maybe even Scott Skinnerish about this jig. I heard it from Sean McGuire but I'm OK.

The Green Groves of Erin

I hadn't played this tune for a long time until I thought I had been asked to record it here. Once I'd finished the process I realised that "The Green Groves of" is not a synonym for "Farewell to". I'll maybe take a trip to the airport and get some inspiration for the tune I was supposed to play. (I think I had a mish-mash of farewell to green groves in Erin's Ireland earlier.  I hope this particular tangled hank of yarn has now been been unravelled )

Slán le hÉirinn (Farewell to Erin)

Tá súil agam go bhfuil an leagan ceart agam an iarraidh seo. There are too many ways saying bye-bye to places.

Farewell to Ireland

Here's a good reel.  I tried playing "The Green Groves of Erin" and ended up with a mixture of that and "Farewell to Erin".  Thankyou Alex for pointing that out. Here's a tune as a compromise. "Éirinn " should have 2  "n"s in the dative case anyway (I nearly said "in any case" - I hate languages).  At least "Ireland" is less mutable. I'm away to check my grammar and my tune versions. Thanks, Michael.

The Rose In The Heather

Here's a very popular jig. It's a nice tune which is good on the flute. I think I heard a good recording once of the Leitrim flute player Packie Duignan playing it on a record which was made of him and Seamus Horan.

"The Knackers of Navan"

Here's reel from the Donegal fiddle player, John Doherty. I got it from an old tape where he was introducing the tunes.  This is the name he gave it.

Griffin From The Bridge (Coleman's Cross)

Here's one I was asked to play. I'd never heard the name before so I looked it up and found this tune. I'd always wondered what it was called. The internet tells me it is also called "Coleman's Cross". It fails to mention what's annoyed him.

The Gravel Walks

Does it gather any moss? This is a Donegal fiddle tune which I was asked to play. It's also called "The Gravel Walks to Granie", referring to a place in Donegal. It sounds good on 2 fiddles with one of them playing a drone on a low A. I'm sorry I couldn't demonstrate this but between holding the flute and typing, my hands were sort of tied, and very tired.

Lawson's Hornpipe

Here's a very melodic and cheerful hornpipe which was recorded by, among others, Paddy Killoran. It's a great tune to change into from another, slightly less contented, hornpipe.  There are plenty of these about so I'll not suggest any ones in particular.

The Teatotaller

Here's a very popular reel. It's especially good for learning. I wish I could identify with the subject of the title. Things mightn't seem so LOUD this morning.

The Scholar

Here's a very common reel which is sometimes called "The Poor Scholar". Regarding scholarly matters, I have exams next week and the week after. I'm supposed to be studying for them but have been spending too much time footering with this site. I picked a fine time to find a new hobby. At least if I flunk them (that word seems to look ruder than it sounds) I'll still have a place where I can complain about it ad nauseum. (I've just discovered how to do italics). I'll try to do us all a favour and leave my flunking aside. Enough asides. Good night.

The Morning Star

Here's one of those tunes which lots of people say is very common but can't remember the last time they either heard or played it. No I come to think of it, I've never heard anybody say "Hey, isn't The Morning Star a popular reel?". I've spent too much time typing stuff on this site and am starting to come out with solipsistic claptrap. It is popular though, I think. If you find the record "The Star Above The Garter" of Denis Murphy and Julia Clifford, you'll have a good version of this reel close at hand. If you do find the record (either in LP or CD format), it might even be mine. I never had much luck instilling a homing instinct in my copies of that recording.

The Banks

I think I said I'd record this tune in my note about "The Bank of Ireland".  I'll have to be more careful in future. This tune was composed by an Italian / Scottish violinist called  Parazotti.  I think it was in E flat.  I used to try it on the flute in D.  On this occasion I appear to be all at sea.

The Bank of Ireland

Here's a very popular reel. I think someone asked me to record this; sorry it took so long. I'm not sure about naming good things like tunes after banks is totally appropriate. The tired old utterance "at least Dick Turpin wore a mask" comes to mind. There's another tune called "The Bank of Turf" which is I suppose, referring to another Bank of Ireland, i.e. a bank made of Ireland. I'll maybe record it if and when I remember how it goes. There's another one called "The Banks". It's not really a flute tune but I sometimes try to fool it into thinking it is. I'll have a stab at it now.

James Byrne's Highland

I learned this tune from the Donegal fiddle player, James Byrne.  I thought long and hard about the name and came up with this one.

Off To California

Here's a popular hornpipe which deserves to be so. I'm off for a pint.  I don't have to go to California for it which is a relief, although I'm sure the pints are excellent there.