Annotation:Paddy Finley's Fancy Reel
Back to Paddy Finley's Fancy Reel
PADDY FINLEY'S FANCY REEL. AKA - "Paddy Finlay's Favourite." AKA and see "Galway Rambler (The)," "Lord Wellington (1)," "Tiarna Wellington." Irish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. The name comes from fiddler Hugh Gillespie’s 1938 recording of the tune usually known nowadays as “The Galway Rambler.” Paddy Finley (1884—1950) was a piccolo player who made a 78 RPM recording in 1927 for Brunswick Records with County Sligo-born fiddler Michael Coleman ("Old Man Dillon" and "Kerrigan's Fancy" AKA "Kerrigan's Jig/Kesh Jig (1) (The)"]]", and, on the flip side, the reel "Lord MacDonald (4)" followed by "Miss McGuiness (1)" [1]). Gillespie named several of his tunes for Irish music-loving hosts whose houses were always open to musicians to gather and play; hosts such as Con Crowley, Paddy Finley and Dick Cosgrove (according to Tony Engle and Tony Russell's liner notes of TSDL364).
Compare also the first strains of “Fairy Hurlers (The)” and “Walsh’s Favourite.”
Source for notated version:
Printed sources: Carlin (Master Collection), 1984; No. 217, p. 127.
Recorded sources: Coleman Music Center CHC 009, Charlie Higgins & Jack Dolan – “The Coleman Archive, vol. 2: The Home Place” (2005. Various artists). Decca 12192 (78 RPM), Hugh Gillespie (1938. Paired with "Joe O'Connell's Dream"). Green Linnet CD3066, Hugh Gillespie.