Annotation:Killarney Boys of Pleasure (The)

Find traditional instrumental music

Back to Killarney Boys of Pleasure (The)


KILLARNEY BOYS OF PLEASURE, THE (Gaigíní Chill Áirne). AKA and see "Docherty's Reel," "Doherty's Reel (1)," "Gweebara Bridge Reel (The)," "Johnny Doherty's Reel (2)," "New Fashioned Habit (The)." Irish, Reel. A Dorian (Brody/Boys of the Lough): E Dorian (Breathnach, Miller & Perron). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Brody, Mallinson, Miller & Perron): AA'BB' (Breathnach, Miller & Perron/2006). The town of Killarney can be found in west Kerry, southern Ireland, and its name means 'the cell among the sloe trees' (referring to a monastary or other religious site). The reel, which is usually played in E Dorian, was popularized by Tommy Peoples and is associated with him. According to Caoimhín Mac Aoidh, the reel is known as "Ril a' Sean Nós" (The Old Style Reel) in County Donegal. Harker (2005) says the Killarney title is from County Antrim.

Source for notated version: Boys of the Lough (Ireland/Shetland) [Brody, Miller & Perron]; fiddler Seán Keane (County Clare, Ireland) [Breathnach]; Donegal fiddler Tommy Peoples [Bulmer & Sharpley].

Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ III), 1985; No. 141, p. 66. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; p. 158. Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland), 1974, vol. 1, No. 40. Jordan (Whistle and Sing), 1975; 51. Mallinson (100 Essential), 1995; No. 65, p. 28. Miller & Perron (Traditional Irish Fiddle Music), 1977; vol. 2, No. 22. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 80.

Recorded sources: Claddagh Records CC17, Seán Keane - "Gusty's Frolics" (1975). Trailer 2086 or Leader Ler 2086, "Boys of the Lough" (1973. Appears as "Docherty's Reel").

See also listings at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]




Back to Killarney Boys of Pleasure (The)