Annotation:Poll Ha'penny (1)

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POLL HA'PENNY (Maire na leat-pingin/ Maire na leat-pingean). AKA and see "Carolan's Dream," "Brian the Brave (1),” "Garraí na bhFéileóig (Garden of Butterflies),” "Hawk's Hornpipe," “Holey Ha'Penny/Halfpenny,” "Molly Halfpenny/Ha'penny," "Molly MacAlpin," "O'Carolan's Farewell to Music," "Paul Ha'Penny," “Remember the Glories of Brian the Brave.” Irish, Hornpipe, Long or Set Dance (4/4 time). A Dorian (Mulvihill). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (O'Neill/1915 & 1001): AAB (O'Neill/1850): AABB (Mitchell, Mulvihill, O'Neill/Krassen). "Poll Ha'penny" has been described as a derivative dance version of the air “Molly MacAlpin,” composed either by ancient harper Laurence O’Connellan, born at Cloonmahon, County Sligo, in the mid-17th century (c. 1645) or by harper William Connellan (O’Sullivan, Carolan, 1958, p. 289). Donal O'Sullivan in his Carolan biography (vol. 1, p. 18) reported that the Irish harper and composer O’Carolan (1670-1738) thought so highly of this tune that he was supposed to have said he would rather have been its composer than any of his own melodies. Ciaran Carson, in his book Last Night’s Fun (1996) thinks it may be possible that the title “Poll Ha’penny” may have derived from the English title “Holey Ha'penny,” since the word poll in Irish means ‘hole’. O’Sullivan (Carolan, 1958, p. 290) says that the title derived from the original name of the tune, “Molly MacAlpin," because 'MacAlpin' became ‘Halpin’ and thence ‘Halfpenny.’ See “Molly MacAlpin” for more on the history of this older tune. See also the related English variant “Radstock Jig (The),” collected by Cecil Sharp from the playing of Somerset musician James Higgins.

The famous Irish-American uilleann piper Patsy Tuohey, a stage player and one of collector Francis O’Neill's informants, recorded this tune on an Edison wax cylinder. Piper Michael Carney recorded "Poll Ha'penny" in a duet with his friend and one-time roommate, fiddler James Morrison in New York in 1929. It was recorded in modern times by whistle player Mary Bergin under the title “Garraí na bhFéoleóig (Garden of Butterflies).

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 7, p. 120 (appears as “Pol Ha'penny”). O'Neill (O’Neill’s Irish Music), 1915; No. 397, p. 190. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 208. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1783, p. 333. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 983, p. 169.

Recorded sources: Bellbridge Records, Bobby Casey – “Casey in the Cowhouse” (1992. Originally recorded 1959). Columbia 33350-F (78 RPM), Michael Carney & James Morrison (1929). Green Linnet, Niamh Parsons - "The Old Simplicity" (2006). Mulligan MUL 027, Martin O’Connor - “A Connaughtman’s Rambles.” Piping Pig Records PPPCD 001, Jimmy O’Brien- Moran – “Seán Reid’s Favourite” (1996).

See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]
Hear Michael Carney and James Morrison's 1929 recording at the Internet Archive [2] and at the Comhaltas Archive [3]
Hear fiddler Dennis Murphy at the Comhaltas Archive [4]
Hear Patsy Touhey's recording at the Comhaltas Archive [5]
See/hear versions on youtube.com [6][7]

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