Annotation:Jenny Picking Cockles (1)
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JENNY PICKING COCKLES (Sineidin ag Togad Brubanide). AKA and see "Heath and Furze," "Maggie Picking Cockels," "Old Slipper Shoe (The)," "Take Her Out and Air Her (2)." Irish, Reel. D Major (O'Neill/1850): D Mixolydian (Flaherty, Kennedy, Mitchell, O'Neill/Krassen): D Dorian (Roche): G Major (Tubridy). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (O'Neill, Roche, Tubridy): AAB (Kennedy): AABB (Flaherty): AA'BB'CC'DD' (Mitchell). See also similarly structured tunes "P.J. Conlon's," "Kitty in the Lane (1)," "Ballinafad Reel (1) (The)," "Sailor's Jacket (The)," "Come to Your Tay." Breathnach (1985) says it is closely related to "Johnny's Gone to France (1)." Caoimhin Mac Aoidh points out this tune is a variation of two parts of "Jenny's Welcome to Charlie" and has relationships to some strains of "College Grove (The)." The great compiler Francis O'Neill learned this tune from County Mayo piper James O'Brien, who visited Chicago (where O'Neill worked in the police department) in 1876. O'Neill describes him as "a neat, tasty Irish piper of the Connacht school of close players, and though his Union pipes were small, they were sweet and musical...One of his peculiarities--and an unpleasant one, occasionally--was a habit of stopping the music in order to indulge in conversation. He could not be induced to play a tune in full, when under the influence of stimulants, as his loquacity was uncontrollable, and he never hesitated under such conditions to express a passing sentiment. Amiable and harmless at all times, he died at a comparatively early age in Chicago, a victim to conviviality, his only weakness."
Nicholas Carolan (on notes to Frankie Gavin's "Fierce Traditional") says the earliest sound recording of the tune seems to be that of the Flanagan Brothers in New York, 1923. Donegal fiddler Neilidh Boyle recorded it in 1937. Carolan believes "Jenny Picking Cockles" to be related to other tunes from northern Ireland. See also William Bradbury Ryan's (1883) setting under the variant title "Maggie Picking Cockels."
Sources for notated versions: piper and flute player Tommy Hunt (b. 1908, Lissananny, Ballymote, County Sligo) [Flaherty]; piper Willie Clancy (1918-1973, Miltown Malbay, west Clare) [Mitchell]; piper Jimmy O'Brien (County Mayo) [O'Neill]; Chicago Police Sergeant (and flute player) James Early, originally from Carrickavoher, Aughavas, Co. Leitrim [O'Neill/1903].
Printed sources: Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 130. Kennedy (Traditional Dance Music of Britain and Ireland: Reels and Rants), 1997; No. 76, p. 20. Mitchell (The Dance Music of Willie Clancy), 1993; No. 124, pp. 100-101. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 123. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1347, p. 252. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 602. Roche (Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 1), 1912; No. 180, p. 69. Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, Book Two), 1999; p. 16.
Recorded sources: Claddagh 4CC 32, Willie Clancy - "The Pipering of Willie Clancy, vol. 1" (1980). Gael-Linn CEF 114, Noel Hill & Tony MacMahon - "I gCnoc na Graí." Tara CD 4011, Frankie Gavin - "Fierce Traditional."
See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]
Hear Nealie O'Boyle, Micho Russell and others play the tune at the Comhaltas Archives [3]