Annotation:All the Way to Galway (1)
Back to All the Way to Galway (1)
ALL THE WAY TO GALWAY. Irish, Reel. D Mixolydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB, AABB. The air was set to a Jacobite era (early 18th century) song and was the precursor to "Yankee Doodle," which it resembles, particularly in the second strain. Breathnach (1976) finds the first printing of the tune in Glasgow publisher James Aird's Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs (1780-1803) under the title "Galway Girls (The)." He quotes Crofton Crocker's The Popular Songs of Ireland (1839) which states "'All the way from Gallaway, early in the morning' is the burden of a popular song descriptive of the march of the Galway militia." See also the Scots relatives "Ciorsdan Mhór", "Big Kirsty", "Miss Stewart Bunrannoch" and the strathspey "A'(ll) the Way to Galloway". "Road to Lisdoonvarna (2) (The)" is a variant.
Sources for notated versions: flute and whistle player Micko Russell (Doolin, Co. Clare, Ireland) [Breathnach]; New Jersey flute player Mike Rafferty, born in Ballinakill, Co. Galway, in 1926 [Harker].
Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ II), 1976; No. 282, p. 144. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 21. Harker (300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty), 2005; No. 92, p. 29. P.M. Haverty (One Hundred Irish Airs vol. 3), 1859; No. 287, p. 143. Hughes (Gems from the Emerald Isle), c. 1860's; No. 42, p. 11. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 999, p. 172. Stanford/Petrie (Complete Collection), 1905; No. 849, p. 212. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 45. White's Unique Collection, 1896; No. 77, p. 14.
Recorded sources: Chieftains - "Chieftains 3." Green Linnet SIF 3005, The Bothy Band - "Old Hag You Have Killed Me" (1981. A reissue of the 1976 Mulligan LP).