Annotation:Whinny Hills of Leitrim (1) (The)

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WHINNY HILLS OF LEITRIM [1], THE. AKA and see "Back of the Haggard (3)," "Colman's Lantern," "Fisherman's Jig," "Larry Redican's Slip Jig (3)," "Redican's Mother," "Leitrim Town," "Redican's Mother." Irish, Slip Jig (9/8 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB (Boys of the Lough, Mulvihill, Tubridy): AABB’ (Mallinson). The tune was first recorded in 1928 by Leitrim flute player John McKenna (1880-1947) under the title “Leitrim Town.” McKenna recorded a number of tunes during his carear that referenced his home county. "Whinny" means 'full of whins'; 'whins' is another name for furze or gorse, which is a type of thorny evergreen shrub. A.T. Lucas wrote a book called Furze, A Survey and History of its Uses in Ireland (1960) and stated: “There are two general English names current in the country. A line drawn from east to west across the country from the neighbourhood of Drogheda to that of Westport approximately divides the territories where these names are in use. To the north of that line the name used is ‘whins’, to the south of it ‘furze’. The common English name ‘gorse’ is not used in Ireland except by those who have become familiar with it in England or from books”.

Source for notated version: a 78 RPM recording by flute player John McKenna (County Leitrim) [Boys of the Lough].

Printed sources: Boys of the Lough, 1977; p. 24. Breathnach (Folk Music and Dances of Ireland), 1971; 11. Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland, vol. 2) , 1974; No. 54. Mallinson (100 Enduring), 1995; No. 88, p. 37. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 5, p. 107. Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, Book Two), 1999; p. 42.

Recorded sources: Front Hall 018, How To Change a Flat Tire "Traditional Music of Ireland and Shetland," 1978. Trailer LER 2090, Boys of the Lough "Second Album."

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

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