Annotation:Great Western Clog (The)
X:1 T:Great Western M:C L:1/8 R:Hornpipe/Clog S:Ryan's Mammoth Collection (1886) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:D (a>g) | f>ad>f A>dF>A | D>FA>d f2 e>f | g>be>g c>eA>F | G>AB>G E2 a>g | f>ad>f A>dF>A | D>FA>d f2 e>f | g>bg>e c>AB>c|d2f2d2 :| |: D2 | G>FG>A B>cd>e | f3e d>cd>B | A2f2 f>Af>A | B2 e2 e>Ge>G | G>FG>A B>cd>e | f3e d>cd>B | A>fe>d c>AB>c | d2f2d2 :| |: (a>g) | (3fgf (3efe (3ded (3cdc | (3BcB (3ABA G2 a>g | (3gag (3fgf (3efe (3ded | (3cdc (3BcB A2 (a>g) | (3fgf (3efe (3ded (3cdc | (3BcB (3ABA (3GAG (3FGF | E>ge>d c>AB>c | d2f2d2 :||
GREAT WESTERN (Lancashire) CLOG. AKA - "Great Western Hornpipe (The)." AKA and see "Belfast Hornpipe (1)," "Great Eastern Hornpipe," "Millicent's Hornpipe," "Royal Belfast," "Sweep's Hornpipe (1) (The)." Irish, Clog or Hornpipe. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCC. Al Smitley suggests the tune may have been named for the steamship Great Western. This steamship was the first of three great early steamships built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, one of the principal engineers of the industrial revolution (see note for "Annotation:Great Eastern Reel (1)").
There are other possibilities for the name, however, for Brunel did not confine his genius to steamships but was famous as well for his tunnels, bridges and railways. He constructed one of England's early railway lines, calling it as well the Great Western, from London to Bristol, a project begun in 1833 with the first London-to-Maidenhead broad-gauge section opening in 1838. The greatly expanded railway line is still in existence.