Annotation:March of the Kings of Laois

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MARCH OF THE KING OF LAOIS. AKA - "The King of Laois." AKA and see "King of Leix (The)," "Rory O'Moore," "Rory O'More," "Rory of the Hills." Irish, March (3/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. This ancient melody has been associated with the O'Moore family and may have been composed in praise of one Ruairí Óg Ó Mórdha, a head of the family during the 16th century and a famous Irish hero of the resistance to English colonization of the time (Sean Mac Reamoinn). The name Laois is pronounced 'lay-eesh'. "March of the King of Laois" first appears in collector Edward Bunting's 2nd collection of 1809 set in 6/8 time with the title "Rory O Moor: King of Leixs March." Phillipe Varlet sees some resemblance to "Hurler's March (2) (The)" which Bunting obtained from the collector George Petrie and printed in his subsequent 1840 volume.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland, vol. 2), 1974; No. 81. Johnson (The Kitchen Musician's Occasional: Waltz, Air and Misc., No. 1), 1991; p. 13.

Recorded sources: June Appal 016, Malcolm Dalglish and Grey Larsen - "Banish Misfortune." Kicking Mule 157, Duck Baker - "Irish Jigs, Reels, Hornpipes and Airs." Outlet 1019, The O'Brien Family - "Ulster Outcry" (1974). RCA 09026-60916-2, The Chieftains - "An Irish Evening" (1991). Shanachie 79023, "Chieftains 3" (1971/1982). Shanachie 97011, Duck Baker - "Irish Reels, Jigs, Airs and Hornpipes" (1990. Learned from a recording by Sean O'Riada). Paul Dooley - "Rip the Calico." Joe Burke & Anne Conroy - "Irish Folk Festival 2000: Lighthouse of Tradition" (2000). "The Chieftains: Wide World Over: A 40 Year Celebration" (2002).

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

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