Annotation:Follow Me Down to Carlow (2)

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 FOLLOW ME DOWN TO CARLOW [2] ("Lean Me Sios Go Ceatair-Loc" or "Lean go Ceatharlach sios me"). AKA - "Follow Me Down," "Follow Me Up (to Carlow)." AKA and see "Ríl Cam (An)," "Crooked Reel (The)," "Dinny Delaney's (2)," "Miss Murphy (2)," "Bonnie Annie (3)." Irish, Single Jig, Slide, March (6/8 or 4/4 time) or Reel; New England, Jig or Polka. A Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Breathnach, Joyce): AAB (Darley & McCall, Mitchell, O'Neill, Tubridy): AABBC (Moylan). Breathnach (1977) states the tune is a 6/8 version of a Scottish reel by Donald Dow (Glen Collection, p. 23 {4th tune}, and Gow's Complete Repository, vol. 1, p. 22 {3rd tune}). Darley & McCall (1914) state that the air is called "Follow Me Up to Carlow" and that there is a tradition that this air was the Clan March of the O'Byrne family. Its first public airing was supposedly when it was played by the Irish war-pipers of Feagh MacHugh (Fiach Mc Hugh O' Byrne) at the fight of Glenmalure (1580) when he attacked the English of the Pale (the environs surrounding Dublin), defended by the troops of Lord Deputy Grey. However, there are "grave doubts" about whether the tune is as old as the 16th century.  Sources for notated versions: Mrs. Anastasia Corkery (Irish-American from Co. Cork and Cambridge, Mass., 1930's) [Bayard]: "...copied from (a) very old well-written manuscript lent to me in 1873 by Mr. J. O'Sullivan, of Bruff, Co. Limerick" [Joyce]; "received from the Rev. Father Gaynor, C.M., Cork" [Darley & McCall]; piper Felix Doran, 1969 (Co. Kilmany, Ireland) [Breathnach]; west Kerry fiddler Padraig O'Keeffe via accordion player Johnny O'Leary (Sliabh Luachra region of the Cork-Kerry border) [Moylan]; piper Willie Clancy (1918-1973, Miltown Malbay, west Clare) [Mitchell].  Printed sources: Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981; Appendix No. 35, p. 586. Breathnach (CRÉ I), 1963; No. 107. Breathnach (CRÉ II), 1976; No. 84, p. 45. Darley & McCall (The Feis Ceóil Collection of Irish Airs), 1914; No. 65, pg. 29. Henebry, 1928; No. 75, p. 255. Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and Songs), 1909; No. 243, pp. 117-118. Miller & Perron (101 Polkas), 1978; No. 10. Mitchell (Dance Music of Willie Clancy), 1993; No. 129, p. 103 (appears as "Follow Me Up to Carlow"). Moylan (Johnny O'Leary), 1994; No. 325, p. 185 (slide version). O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1282, p. 241. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 988, p. 170. Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, Book Two), 1999; p. 5.  Recorded sources:  See also listings at: Alan Ng's Irishtune.info

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