Annotation:Butcher's March (1)
X:1 T:Butchers' March [1], The M:6/8 L:1/8 B:O'Farrell -- Pocket Companion for the Irish or Union Pipes (1810) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:D g|fAA eAA|ded/B/ A2g|fAA eAA|ded/B/G:| |:B|ded/B/ dGB|ded/B/ A2B|ded/B/ dGB|ded/B/ G2:| |:g|f2a e2a|ded/B/ A2g|f2a e2a|ded/B/ G2:| |:g|faf gea|edB A2g|fga/f/ gea|edB G2:| |:B|dGB dGB|ded/B/ A2B|dGB dGB|ded/B/ G2:||
BUTCHER'S MARCH [1], THE ("Máirseáil na mBúistéirí" or "Triall An Bustoir"). AKA and see "Butcher's Jig (2) (The)," "Ree Raw (1)." Irish, March or Double Jig. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB (Stanford/Petrie): AABB (Breathnach, Cole, Flaherty, O'Neill): AABBCCDDEEFF (Breathnach, O'Farrell). wikipedia:Francis_O'Neill (1913) records that the tune was associated with a tradition of butchers performing a long dance on "May-Eve." In the city of Limerick in the 18th century the dance, Rinnce Fada, was witnessed by Sylvester O'Halloran, an eminent native historian. In 'modern' times, states O'Neill, the tune in two strains is danced as a double jig, though he points out the setting in O'Farrell's Pocket Companion for the Irish or Union Pipes (vol. 2, Book 1, c. 1810) has six parts. Church of Ireland Canon and uilleann piper wikipedia:James_Goodman_(musicologist)'s mid-19th century version, collected in County Cork, has five parts. Another mid-19th century manuscript version can be found in the collection of Sliabh Luachra musician D. Curtin (No. 25, p. 10 [1]).
Breathnach gives that Sliabh Luachra fiddler Denis Murphy called the tune "Along with the Girls I'd Like to Be." See also "Rub the Bag," and variants listed under "Butcher's March (2) (The)," below. Don Meade points out this is not the tune usually known as "The Butcher's March" in Irish sessions today. There may be some relation to the "Gold Ring (1) (The)" family of tunes.