Boys of the Lough (The)

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Theme code Index	5355 1H3H66
Also known as	Buachaillí na Locha, Rakes of Clonmel (2), Jerome's Farewell to Gibraltar, Johnstown Reel, Rose of Castletown (The), Stócaigh an Locha
Composer/Core Source
Region	Ireland
Genre/Style	Irish
Meter/Rhythm	Reel (single/double)
Key/Tonic of	D
Accidental	2 sharps
Mode	Ionian (Major)
Time signature	4/4
History
Structure	ABCD
Editor/Compiler	Biography:Mozart Allan
Book/Manuscript title	Book:Allan's Irish Fiddler
Tune and/or Page number	No. 37, p. 9
Year of publication/Date of MS	c. 1920's
Artist	Biography:McConnell's Four Leaf Shamrock Orchestra
Title of recording	Old Torn Petticoat/Off to Dublin/Boys of Lough (July 11, 1924)
Record label/Catalogue nr.	Victor 19446 (78 RPM)
Year recorded	1924
Media
Score ()

BOYS OF THE LOUGH, THE (Buachaillí na Locha). AKA and see "Rakes of Clonmel (2)," "Barrel Rafferty's Reel," "Jerome's Farewell to Gibraltar," "Johnstown Reel," "Rose of Castletown (The)." Irish, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB (Flaherty): AABB (Brody, Allan's): AABB' (Cranford/Holland): ABCD (Breathnach): ABCDEFGHIJKL (Miller). A very popular session reel. "Boys of the Lough" was popularized by fiddler Michael Coleman, originally from Kilavil, County Sligo, although the melody was "ever part of the local ...repertoire," according to Blooming Meadows (1998) authors Charlie Piggott and Fintan Vallely. Coleman (1891-1945) recorded the tune in 1922 in New York. O'Neill (in 400 Choice Selections) prints the tune under the title "Johnstown Reel," while Roche has a version called "Rose of Castletown (The)." See also similarly titled "Boys From the Lough." "Barrel Rafferty's Reel"/"Master McDermott" is a related tune, as is the Canadian "Jerome's Farewell to Gibraltar," popularised under that title by radio and TV fiddler Don Messer.

Sources for notated versions: fiddler Tommy Potts (Ireland) [Breathnach]; fiddler Peter Horan (b. 1926, Kilavil, Co. Sligo, Ireland) [Flaherty].

Printed sources: Allan's Irish Fiddler, No. 37, p. 9. Boys of the Lough, 1977, p. 1. Breathnach (CRÉ I), 1963; No. 159, p. 63. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; p. 54. Cranford (Jerry Holland: The Second Collection), 2000; No. 91, p. 36. Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 63. Lyth (Bowing Styles in Irish Fiddle Playing), vol. 1, 1981; 41 & 42. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 1977; vol. 2, No. 51. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 53.

Recorded sources: Coleman Center CD CC004, Peter Horan - "The Mountain Road" (1999. Various artists. "A Compilation of tunes popular in South Sligo"). Coleman Music Center CHC 009, fiddler Pake Spellman (d. 1969, from Doocastle area) - "The Coleman Archive, vol. 2: The Home Place" (2005. Various artists). Green Linnett SIF 3008, "Matt Molloy." IRC Records, Michael Coleman - "Musical Glory of Old Sligo" (1967). Maggie's Music 107, "Music in the Great Hall" (1992). MKM 7590, Mike McHale - "The Schoolmaster's House" (2000. Learned from a recording by fiddler Sean McGuire). Mulligan-Lun 004, "Matt Molloy." Rounder Records 7057, Jerry Holland - "Parlor Music" (2005). Trailer LER 2086, The Boys of the Lough- "First Album." Victor 21593B (78 RPM), Ed Reavy (1927), Victor 19446 (78 RPM), McConnell's Four Leaf Shamrock Orchestra (1924. The group consisted of Adam McConnell on fiddle, John McNulty on piccolo, and Jos. Dolan on piano).

See also listings at:
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [1]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [3]
Hear the 1924 recording by McConnell's Four Leaf Shamrock Orchestra at the Internet Archive [4] [5]

X:1
T:Boys of the Lough, The
M:C
L:1/8
K:D Major
dB | AF (3FFF AFAB | defd B3 d | AF (3FFF dF (3FFF | EDEF E2dB |
AF (3FEF A2 AB | defd B3 d | AF (3FFF dF (3FFF | EDEF E2dB ||
AF (3FEF A2 AB | defd dcdB | AF (3FFF dF (3FFF | EG (3FED DFGB |
AF (3FEF A2 AB | defd B3 d | AF (3FFF dF (3FFF | GFEG FDDg ||
fg (3agf gfec | defd dcdB | AF (3FFF dF (3FFF | EDEF E2FE |
D2 af gfec | decd BcdB | AF (3FFF dF (3FFF | GFEG FDDg ||
fgaf gfec | defd B3 d | AF (3FFF ABde | (3fef gf e2 fg |
(3agf (3gfe fdec | (3dcB (3cBA BcdB | AF (3FFF dF (3FFF | EGFE DEFG ||
(3ABA FA A2 FA|defd (3cBA Bd|AF (3FFF dF (3FFF|EDEF E2dB|
AF (3FEF A2 AB|defd B3 d|AF (3FFF dF (3FFF|EDEF E2dB||
AF (3FEF A2 AB|defd B3 d|AF (3FFF AF DF|(3GFE (3FED CDEF|
(3ABA FA A2 FA|de fd (3cBA Bd|AF (3FFF dF (3FFF|GFEG FDDg||
fg (3agf gfec|dB (3BAB GB (3BAB|AF (3FFF dF (3FFF|EDEF E2FE|
D2 af gfec|(3dcB (3cBA BcdB|AF (3FFF dF (3FFF|GEEG FDDg||
fg (3agf gfec|defd dcdB|AF (3FFF ABde|(3fef gf e2fg|
(3agf (3gfe fdec|(3dcB (3cBA BcdB|AF (3FFF dF (3FFF|EA,CE DEFA||
(3ABA FA DAFA|(3ded cd B2 dB|AF (3FFF AFDF|(3GFE (3FED CDEF|
(3ABA FA DAFA|defd BdcB|AF (3FFF dF (3FFF|EA,CE D2 dB||
AF (3FFF AFAB|defd B3 d|AF (3FFF dF (3FFF|AF (3FFF EFGB|
AF (3FFF A2 AB|defd BABd|AF (3FFF dF (3FFF|GFEG FDDg||
fgaf gfec|defd BABd|AF (3FFF dF (3FFF|(3GFE (3FED EG FE|
D2 af gfec|d2 c2 BABd|AF (3FFF dF (3FFF|GFEG FDDg||
fgaf gfec|defd B3 d|AF (3FFF ABde|fdgf e2 fg|
(3agf (3gfe fdec|(3dcB (3cBA BcdB|AF (3FFF dF (3FFF|EDEF D2||