Annotation:George Gubbin's Delight

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GEORGE GUBBIN'S DELIGHT (Taitneam Seorsi Gobain). AKA and see "Cameron House," "Humors of Schull (The)," "Highway to Limerick (The)," "Lord Kelly," "Lord Kelly's Rant/Reel)" "Mo ceoil sibh a laochra" "Old Grey Gander (The)," "Wedding Ring (2) (The), "Wee Cup o' Tea (A)." 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)" but it is related to a number of Scotch and Irish tunes in a large and extended tune family. The first strain is shared with the Irish reels "Buckeen (The)," "Musical Priest" and "New Bridge of Erin (The)." See also the Irish Highland "Rough Molly."

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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