X:1
T:The Knocknabower Polka No. 2
T:The Knocknaboul Polka
T:The Sneem Polka
M:2/4
L:1/8
Q:280
R:polka
Z:Philippe Varlet
K:G
GB B/c/B/A/ | GB B>G | FA AD | FA D2 |
GB B/c/B/A/ | GB d>e | fd cA |1 G2 GD :|2 G2 G2 ||
g2 g>f | ga ag | fd de | fg af |
g2 g>f | ga a>g | fd cA |1 G2 G2 :|2 G2 GA ||
B2 cB/c/ | dc AG | F>E FD | FG Ac |
B2 cB/c/ | dc Ag | fd cA |1 G2 GA :|2 G2 GD ||
Julia CliffordKNOCKNABOUL (POLKA) [2], THE (Polca Chnoc na bPoll). AKA and see "Ask Our Dan," "Knocknabower Polka (2)," "Liam Browne's," "Sneem Polka." Irish, Polka (2/4 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCC. The alternate title "Knocknabower" is from a mis-print on the influential "Star Above the Garter" recording, and unfourtunatley has gained some currency at the expense of the correct title, "Knocknaboul." The second strain is shared with that of "Barley Grain (3) (The)," a reel in County Cork cleric, uilleann piper and collector James Goodmman's large mid-19th century music manuscript collection (vol. 3, p. 78). See also Goodman's "Greggs Pipes (2)" which contains similar melodic material.
Fr. John Quinn finds the third strain of Brendan Breathnach's "Knocknaboul Polka (2)" to be something of a "floater", versions of which he also finds in the first strain of Breathnach's untitled polka No. 91 in his Ceol Rince na hĖireann vol. 4 (see "Polka (31)" and in an untitled polka in Frank Roche's Traditional Music of Ireland vol. 3 (1927, No. 129, see "Polka (32)"). Conor Ward points out that both parts of the latter tune (i.e. untitled No. 129 in Roche) are in fact distanced versions of "Buffalo Gals."
Denis Murphy
Additional notes Source for notated version : - fiddlers Julia Clifford & Denis Murphy (brother and sister, east Kerry, Ireland) [Breathnach, Sullivan]; accordion player Johnny O'Leary (Sliabh Luachra region of the Cork-Kerry border) [Moylan]; set dance music recorded live at Na Píobairí Uilleann, mid-1980's [Taylor].
Printed sources : - Breathnach (Ceol Rince na hÉireann vol. III), 1985; No. 65, p. 34. Cranitch (Irish Fiddle Book), 1996; No. 50, p. 144. Cranitch (Irish Session Tunes: Red Book), 2000; 50. Mallinson (100 Irish Polkas), 1997; No. 14, p. 6. Miller & Perron (101 Polkas), 1978; No. 16 (appears as "Knockabower Polka #2"). Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 132. Moylan (Johnny O'Leary of Sliabh Luachra), 1994; No. 281, p. 161. Prior (Fionn Seisiún 3), 2007; p. 36 (as "Knockabower Polka"). Sullivan (Session Tunes, vol. 3); No. 46, p. 19 (appears as "Knocknabower Polka"). Taylor (Music for the Sets: Yellow Book), 1995; p. 23. Vallely (Learn to Play the Tin Whistle with the Armagh Pipers Club, vol. 2); 21(b).
Recorded sources : - Claddagh Records CC5, Denis Murphy & Julia Clifford - "The Star above the Garter" (1969. Appears as "Knocknabower Polka"). Topic 12T312, John, Julia & Billy Clifford - "The Star of Munster Trio."
See also listing at : Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]
