Annotation:Shane O'Neill's March
X:1 T:Shane O'Neill's March M:2/4 L:1/8 R:March K:G GA|B>c BA|B2 B/c/d|B>c BA|B2 AG|Bd g>e| dB GB|A>B AG|A2 GA|B>c BA|B2 B/c/d| B>c BA|B2 AG|Bd g>e|dB AG|B>A GF|G2:| |:ef|g2 f/g/f|e2 a>g|fe fd|B2 (3B/c/^c/|d2 d>e| dB AG|g2 g>a|g2 (3f/g/a/|e2 (3e/f/g/|d2 (3e/f/g/| dB AG|A2 Bd|ef ge|dB AB|G2 G>A|G2:|
SHANE O'NEILL'S MARCH (Triall Sean Uí Niall). Irish, March (4/4 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. While the title may refer to anyone with the relatively common Irish name, the historical Shane O’Neill (1530?-1567) was an Irish chieftain, the eldest son of Con O’Neill, the 1st Earl of Tyrone. Shane was passed over by his father in a political deal with the English Queen Elizabeth, in favor of an illegitimate brother, and this plunged Shane into a lifelong struggle of tribal warfare in Ulster and with the English. Shane eliminated his rivals one by one until Elizabeth finally agreed to his succession as chieftain of Tyrone. However, Shane soon was back to fighting, next with the MacDonnells, Scottish immigrants in County Antrim, and then with the English themselves. He was finally defeated by the O’Donnells at Letterkenny, and having little choice about where to turn he vainly sought refuge with his old enemies the MacDonnells. They murdered him. Not surprisingly, this march is a favourite of Ulster marching bands.