Annotation:Top of the Maol (The)
X:1 T:Top of The Maol, The R: polka M: 2/4 L: 1/8 K: Amin A2 AB/d/|ed Bd|G2 GA|Bd BG| A2 AB/d/|ed Bd|e/f/g/e/ dB|1A2 AG:|2A2 A>d|| |:ea ag/a/| ba ge|ef ga|ge ed| ea ag/a/|ba ge|e/f/g/e/ dB|1A2 A>d:|2A2 AG||
TOP OF THE MAOL. AKA and see “Groves of Gneeveguillia (The),” “Maol Mountain,” “Murphy's Delight,” “Queen's Polka (2) (The),” “Tom Barret's.” Irish, Polka (2/4 time). A Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The title is probably correctly called “Top of Maol” (pronounced Mile and Moyl) as Maol is a village and townland in the Sliabh Luachra (Rushy Mountain) region of the Cork/Kerry border, although the townland is generally referred nowadays as Glanowen. Alan Ward, in his booklet "Music from Sliabh Luachra," references the tune and remarks that "Maol Mountain (‘’Sliabh Maol’’) and Maol Bog are north of Lisheen." Influential regional fiddler Pádraig O’Keeffe named the tune “Top of the Maol” because if he looked northeast from his home in Glountaine Cross he could see the top of Sliabh Maol (now either Baraveha or Knockfeha).
The “Murphy's Delight” alternate title is from a recording by Jimmy Doyle and Dan O'Leary called "Traditional Music from the Kingdom of Kerry.” Terry "Cuz" Teahan included the tune in his book Sliabh Luacra on Parade under the title “Queen's Polka (2) (The).”
