Annotation:Connaughtman's Rambles (1) (The)
Back to Connaughtman's Rambles (1) (The)
CONNAUGHTMAN'S RAMBLES [1], THE (Triallta an Connactaig). AKA and see "Bean ag Baint Duileasc," "Connaught (The)," "Duck from Drummuck (The)," "Gathering Dilisk/Gathering Duilisc," "Lads of the Town (The)," "Mickey the Moulder." Irish, Double Jig. D Major ('A' part) & B Minor ('B' part) {most versions}: C Major ('A' part) & A Minor ('B' part) {Hardings}. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (most versions): AA'BB' (Taylor/Tweed). The jig is one of the most enduring and popular pieces in the Irish repertoire, and has even spread to other genres. It is, for example, one of the commonly played jigs for English rapper sword dancing (along with "Blackthorn Stick (The)" and "Ten-Penny Bit (The)"), and is a staple for contra dancing. Connaught was one of the five old provinces of Ireland (along with Ulster, Leinster, Meath, and Munster), named for the ancient tribe who lived there, the Connachta. The title appears in a list of tunes in his repertoire brought by Philip Goodman, the last professional and traditional piper in Farney, Louth, to the Feis Ceoil in Belfast in 1898 (Breathnach, 1997). Another uilleann piper, County Cork Church of Ireland cleric James Goodman, entered a version of the jig into his mid-19th century music manuscript collection [1] as "Lads of the Town (The)." Captain Francis O'Neill recorded it on a wax cylinder from the playing of Chicago Irish musicians between the years 1902-1904, the oldest sound recording of the tune extent.
Source for notated version: accordion player Karen Tweed learned the tune from a recording by button accordion player Martin O'Connor [Taylor/Tweed].
Printed sources: Barnes (English Country Dance Tunes, vol. 2), 2005; p. 107. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; p. 73. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 57. Cranitch (Irish Fiddle Book), 1996; pp. 49 & 52. Giblin (Collection of Traditional Irish Dance Music), 1928; No. 90. Hardings All-Round Collection, 1905; No. 175, p. 55 (appears as "The Cannaught"). P.M. Haverty (One Hundred Irish Airs vol. 2), 1859, No. 115, p. 53. S. Johnson (The Kitchen Musician No. 6: Jigs), 1982 (revised 1989, 2001); p. 11. Keegan (The Keegan Tunes), 2002; p. 117. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 1), c. 1880's; No. 3, p. 36. Levey (First Collection of the Dance Music of Ireland), 1858; No. 29, p. 12. Mallinson (100 Essential), 1995; No. 80, p. 35. Miller & Perron (New England Fiddler's Repertory), 1983; No. 6. McDermott (Allan's Irish Fiddler), c. 1920's; No. 11, p. 4. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 27, p. 124. O'Neill (O'Neill's Irish Music), 1915; No. 132, pg. 76. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 52. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1003, p. 187. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 218, pg. 50. Roche (Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 1), 1912; p. 47, No. 110. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 87. Sweet (Fifer's Delight), 1964/1981; p. 39. Taylor (Traditional Irish Music: Karen Tweed's Irish Choice), 1994; p. 4. Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, vol. 1), 1999; p. 31.
Recorded sources: CCF2, Cape Cod Fiddlers - "Concert Collection II" (1999). Folkways FG 3531, Jean Carignan- "Old Time Fiddle Tunes" (1968). Folkways FD 6530, Old Grey Goose - "Maine Country Dance Music and Song" (1980). Gael-Linn CEF 068, Maurice Lennon- "An Fhidil." Green Linnet SIF-104, Matt Molloy - "The Celts Rise Again" (1990). Green Linnet SIF-3041, Matt Molloy - "Stony Steps" (1989). Mulligan LUN 017, "Matt Molloy, Paul Brady, and Tommy Peoples." Shanachie 33001ll, Tom Ennis- "The Wheels of the World." Joe Burke (et al) - "The Big Squeeze." Martin O'Connor - "The Connaughtman's Rambles."
See also listings at:
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [2]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [3]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [4].