Annotation:Thirty Years Ago
THIRTY YEARS AGO (Triocad bliadain o ston/soin). Irish, Hornpipe (cut time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. A hornpipe of unknown origin, from Francis O'Neill. Perhaps he titled it from his personal recollection of 'thirty years ago' (from his turn of the 20th century standpoint), when he first heard it, placing perhaps in the 1870's or a bit earlier. In 1870 O'Neill had just married and moved to Chicago where he worked as a laborer in the meat packing industry and elsewhere. It was not until 1873 that he joined the Chicago police force. However, on his move to Chicago he came into contact with a large Irish diasporic community. Prior to his move to Chicago, O'Neill had spent time as a teacher in the American midwest, where he also came into contact with musicians. There is little of Irish character in the hornpipe, which could have come from any source, though it has yet to be traced.
