Boys of Portaferry (The)

BOYS OF PORTAFERRY, THE (Buacailli Puirt An Calad). AKA and see "Sporting Boys (1) (The)," "Pullet (1) (The)." Irish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. David Taylor (1992) traces the tune and its relatives to the apparent root melody, a Scottish tune called "Pigeon on the Gale" (not to be confused with the similarly titled modern tune "Pigeon on the Gate"). The word 'gale' not only means a strong wind but also is the name for a bog-plant, also called 'sweet-gale', and either meaning may have been the one intended. Related tunes include "Red-Haired Lass (The)" and "Shearing the Sheep," while the 'B' part is inter-changeable with the same part in both "Primrose Lass (The)" and "Brown-Eyed Girl (The)" (although the 'A' parts are quite different).

Source for notated version: New Jersey flute player Mike Rafferty, born in Ballinakill, Co. Galway, in 1926 [Harker].

Printed sources: Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), p. 105a (appears as "Unknown"). Harker (300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty), 2005; No. 106, p. 33. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 105. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903/1979; No. 1249, p. 235. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907/1986; No. 521, p. 98. Taylor (Crossroads Dance), 1992; No. 8, p. 8.

Recorded sources: Green Linnet GLCD 1175, Cherish the Ladies - "New Day Dawning." Green Linnet GLCD 1187, Cherish the Ladies - "One and All: the Best of Cherish the Ladies" (1998).

See also listings at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]


X:1 T:Boys of Portaferry, The M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel S:O'Neill - Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems (1907), No. 521 Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:G BA|G2 BG AcBA|G2 BG GEDE|G2 BG ABce|dBgB c2 BA|G2 BG AcBA| G2 BG GEDE|G2 BG ABce|dBAB G2||GA|Bdgd edgd|Bdgd e2 dc|Bdgd edef| GedB c2 BA|Bdgd edgd|Bdgd e2 dc|Bdgd egfa|gedB c2||

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X:2
T:Boys of Portaferry, The
T:Sporting Boys, The
T:Pullet, The
R:reel
D:Planxty
Z:id:hn-reel-215
Z:transcribed by henrik.norbeck@mailbox.swipnet.se
M:C|
L:1/8
K:G
G2BG AGBA|G2BG GEDE|G2BG A2Bc|1 dBGB c2BA:|2 dBAB G3A||
|:(3Bcd gd edgd|(3Bcd gd e2dc|(3Bcd gd edef|1 gedB c2BA:|2 gedB c2BA||
"Variations:"
G2~G2 AcBA|B2AG GEDE|1 G2BG AGcA|dBGB cAAB:|2 ~G3B ~A3B|dBAB G3A||
|:Bdgd edgd|Bdgd egdc|1 Bdgd ~e3f|gedB cAAc:|2 Bdgd egfa|gedB cAAB||
"Version 2:"
|:~G3B A2BA|~G3A BEDE|~G3B A2Bc|1 dBGB c2BA:|2 dBAB G3A||
|:(3Bcd gd edgd|Bdgd (3efe dc|1 (3Bcd gd edef|gedB c2BA:|2 
(3Bcd ef ~g3a|gedB c2BA||

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Engraver Valerio M. Pelliccioni