Annotation:George Gubbin's Delight

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GEORGE GUBBIN'S DELIGHT (Taitneam Seorsi Gobain). AKA and see "Buckeen (The)," "Cameron House," "Humors of Schull (The)," "Highway to Limerick (The)," "Lord Kelly," "Lord Kelly's Rant/Reel)" "Mo Ceoil Sibh a Laochra" "Musical Priest (The)," "New Bridge of Erin (The)," "Old Grey Gander (The)," "Wedding Ring (2) (The)." Irish, Slow Air (4/4 time). A Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. O'Neill (1903) also prints the tune as a reel, called "Highway to Limerick (The)."

Source for notated version: O'Neill obtained this tune from George Gubbins, a native of Hospital, County Limmerick, and night-jailer at the Harrison Street Police Station, where O'Neill was also stationed. Gubbins was a fiddler and played all his tunes, including dance tunes, in slow or singing time, "but as he was inclined to be unsociable on such occasions I failed to learn the name of it." O'Neill named the tune after Gubbins but later discovered a version in Joyce (1909) under the title "The Wedding Ring," collected only a few miles from where Gubbins was raised. He concluded it was a local air, and "had not penetrated beyond a limited district" (Old Irish Music, p. 80).

Printed sources: O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 481, p. 84.

Recorded sources:

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