Annotation:Rolling on the Ryegrass (1)

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ROLLING ON THE RYEGRASS ("Ag liatrad air an seagal" or "Ag cornad ar an braimfear"). AKA and see "Boil the Kettle Early (1)," "Connachtman's Rambles (1) (The)," "Kitty Got a Clinking (1)," "Kitty Got a Clinking Coming from the Races (1)," "Ladies Tight Dress (The)," “Ladies Top Dress,” "Lady on the Railroad," "The Listowel Lasses," "Love Among the Roses," "Maureen Playboy," "McCaffrey's Reel," "Old Molly Ahern," "Piper's Lass," "Punch for the Ladies (2)," "Railway Station (The)," "Rathkeale Hunt," "Roll Her on the Banks," "Sean-Mhaire Ni Eachthighearn," "Shannon Breeze (1)," "Strac an mhuc an leine," “Telegraph (The),” "What the Devil Ails You (2)" Irish, Reel. D Major (Roche, Moylan, Taylor): D Mixolydian (O'Neill/1915, O'Neill/Krassen, Tubridy). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Cranitch, Moylan, O’Malley, O'Neill/1850, Tubridy): AAB (Roche): ABB' (O'Neill/Krassen): ABC (O'Neill/1915 & 1001): AABB (Taylor). The third part in O'Neill's is merely a variation on the 'A' part. Francis O’Neill remarked in his book Irish Folk Music (p. 141) that this reel was well-known in his boyhood home of County Cork; this would have been in the mid-19th century. Source O’Leary remembered that in his last year of life Kerry fiddler Padraig O’Keeffe was often approached and asked for portions of his vast repertoire. Even on his deathbed someone asked “Have you any few reels in your pocket?” (perhaps to elicit one final rare gem of a tune). “Can’t think of a bit,” he said, “only ‘Rolling in the Ryegrass,’” and died fifteen minutes later (Moylan). Dermot Hanifan, in his book Padraig O'Keeffe, The Man and His Music, states that O’Keeffe composed a great number of tunes, one of which was “Rolling in the Ryegrass.” This is apparently impossible, in view of O’Neill’s having heard it in West Cork as a boy, as stated above. See also the related “Roll Her on the Hill”/“Roll Her on the Mountain.” Church of Ireland cleric James Goodman included the tune in his mid-19th century music manuscripts under the title “Telegraph (The).”

Additional notes

Source for notated version: - accordion player Johnny O’Leary (Sliabh Luachra region of the Cork-Kerry border), recorded in recital at Na Píobairí Uilleann, February, 1981 [Moylan]; fiddler and accordion player John McGrath (1900-1954) [O’Malley].

Printed sources : - Cranitch (Irish Fiddle Book), 1996; p. 96. Giblin (Collection of Traditional Irish Dance Music), 1928; 3. Moylan (Johnny O’Leary of Sliabh Luachra), 1994; No. 178, pp. 102-103. O’Malley (Luke O’Malley’s Collection of Irish Music, vol. 1), 1976; No. 74, p. 37. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 162. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1553, p. 287. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 766, p. 133. O’Neill (O’Neill’s Irish Music), 1915; No. 231, p. 123. Roche (Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 1), 1912; No. 150, p. 60. Taylor (Through the Half-door), 1992; No. 39, p. 27. Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, vol. 1), 1999; p. 17.

Recorded sources: - Claddagh CC5, Denis Murphy & Julia Clifford- “The Star Above the Garter.” Shaskeen - "Shaskeen Live." Mick Coyne – “Both Sides of the Coyne.”

See also listings at:<brr> Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources []
Alan Ng’s Irishtune.info []