Annotation:O'Rourke's
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O'ROURKE'S. AKA - "O'Rourke's Wild Irishman." AKA and see "Wild Irishman (7) (The)." Irish, Reel. A Mixolydian/D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Moylan): AAB (Flaherty, Mallinson, Mulvihill). The tonality appears to vary between the two keys. The tune has an odd history. When County Sligo fiddler Michael Coleman famously recorded the tune in New York for a Decca 78 RPM in 1934 the label was issued as "O'Rourke's/Wild Irishman" which was actually the reverse of the set of tunes Coleman played. In the modern tradition the misnamed "O'Rourke's" title has been retained. See also the related "Daisy Field (The)," "Push About the Jorum," "Sligo Chorus," and "Westport Chorus." Anthony Buffery notes similarities with "Captain Byng," "Brosna Polka No. 3," "Mrs. Ryan's," "Stool of Repentance (The)" (slide), "Templeglantine Reel (1) (The)/Pope's Toe," "Maids of Mitchelstown (The)," "My Love is in the House (1)," and "Silver Slipper (The)." "They are all different settings but recognizably derived from the same root tune," states Anthony.
Sources for notated versions: fiddler Michael Lennihan (b. 1917, Kilnamanagh, in the Frenchpark area of County Roscommon) [Flaherty]; accordion player Johnny O'Leary (Sliabh Luachra region of the Cork-Kerry border), recorded at Na Piobairi Uilleann, October, 1984 [Moylan]; Michael Coleman (1891-1945, Co. Sligo/New York) [Mulvihill].
Printed sources: Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland, vol. 1), 1974; No. 5. Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 90. Lyth (Bowing Styles in Irish Fiddle Playing, vol. 1), 1981; 49. Mallinson (100 Enduring), 1995; No. 14, p. 6. Miller & Perron (Traditional Irish Fiddle Music), 1977; vol. 3, No. 48. Moylan (Johnny O'Leary of Sliabh Luachra), 1994; No. 156, p. 90. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 107, p. 28.
Recorded sources: Capelhouse Records, James Kelly - "Traditional Irish Music" (1996. Appears as "Wild Irishman"). Compass 7 4287 2, Cathal McConnell - "Long Expectant Comes at Last" (2000. Learned from the Coleman 78 RPM). Decca 12080 (78 RPM), Michael Coleman (1936). Intrepid Records, Michael Coleman. Green Linnett SIF1035, Brian Conway & Tony De Marco - "The Apple in Winter" (1981). Green Linnett GLCD 1087, Seamus Connolly - "Notes From My Mind" (1988). "Michael Coleman 1891-1945."
See also listings at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]