Annotation:James McMahon's Jig
Tune properties and standard notation
JAMES McMAHON'S JIG (Port Shéamais Mhic Mhathúna). AKA and see "Caherlistrane Jig," "James McMahon's Favourite," "McMahon's Favourite." Irish, Double Jig. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Composed by the late County Fermanagh flute player James McMahon (whose most famous composition is "McMahon's Reel"/"The Banshee"), who was born around the year 1900. The tune was transposed to the key of A Major by C#/D accordion player Charlie Piggot (who had the melody from Delores Keane), who thought it sounded better in that key.
Source for notated version: fiddler Liam Donnelly (County Tyrone), who helped Breathnach obtain tunes for CRÉ [Breathnach].
Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ IV), 1996; No. 16, p. 9. The Hidden Fermanagh, p. 82. McGuire & Keegan (Irish Tunes by the 100), 1975; No. 4, p. 1 (appears as "McMahon's Favourite").
Recorded sources: Gerry Harrington and Charlie Piggot - "The New Road." Topic 12T176, various artists - "Paddy in the Smoke" (1968).
See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]
Hear the tune played by Father O'Keefe and Tommy Maguire at Comhaltas Archive [2]