Annotation:Bank of Turf (2) (The)

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BANK OF TURF [2], THE (An Móinteán). AKA and see "Concertina Hornpipe (The)," "Blacksmith's Charm (The)." Irish, Hornpipe. G Major. Standard tuning. AABBCC. Breathnach (1985) says the tune is related to O'Neill's "Groves (The)." The alternate titles "Concertina Hornpipe" and "Blacksmithe's Charm" come from fiddler John Kelly Sr. (Dublin). Sean Keane relates the story of the naming of the tune, when the late Kerry fiddler Denis Murphy was working in a bog one day, when "who should cycle by but the famous Pádraig Ó Caoimh. The music suddenly struck Pádraig but the only means to hand on which to notate the resulting tune was the bank of turf." O'Keeffe scratched the tune into the peat, at the title was born.

Source for notated version: fiddler Seán Keane (Ireland) [Breathnach].

Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ III), 1985; No. 209, pg. 96.

Recorded sources: Claddagh CC17, Seán Keane - "Gusty's Frolics" (1975). Topic Records, John Kelly Sr. (1975. appears as "The Blacksmith's Charm").

See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]

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