Annotation:Wild Irishman (2)

Back to Wild Irishman (2)

WILD IRISHMAN [2], THE. Irish, Reel. A Mixolydian ('A' part) & D Major ('B' part). Standard tuning (fiddle). One part (Allans): AA’B (Feldman & O’Doherty). Unrelated to version #1, but related to "Wild Irishman (6)" tune family that includes "Anderson's Reel (1)," “Don't be Foolish,” “Flowers of Redhill (1),” “Hod Carrier (The),” “Jilly Neary's Favourite,” “Maids of Palestine,” “Paddy Taylor’s Reel (4),” "Queen of the May (The)." See also the closely related "Old Wild Irishman" and the first strain of "Maude Miller." Caoimhin Mac Aoidh (1994) believes McDermott's setting in Allan’s Irish Fiddler to be a County Donegal version of the melody, and remarked in 1997: “This is the old Donegal setting which until about 10 years ago was unknown outside the county.” Mac Aoidh has subsequently further delineated Donegal settings of this tune, and has called the version printed in Allan’s Irish Fiddler a "bones" version that was known from the area of Dungloe in the north of the county (recorded by the Folklore Commission by Donegal fiddler Neillidh Boyle) down to around Ballyshannon. Mac Aoidh further states: “It is well known to the Campbell's in the Croaghs and as such derived the alternative title The Glenties Reel from associations with them. A more melodically elaborate version exists in the southwest of the county and is strongly associated with The Deargs and James Byrne.” The famous Donegal fiddler Con Cassidy disliked the tune and avoided playing it, according to Mac Aoidh.

Source for notated version: fiddler Simon Doherty (County Donegal) [Feldman & O’Doherty].

Printed sources: McDermott (Allan's Irish Fiddler), c. 1920’s, No. 52, p. 13. Feldman & O’Doherty (The Northern Fiddler), 1979; p. 106.

Recorded sources: Gael-Linn CEF060, “Paddy Glackin.”