Brave Donnelly

 BRAVE DONNELLY. Irish, Song Air (6/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. "This was Dan Donnelly, the great Dublin boxer of the beginning of last century (i.e. 1800's)" (Joyce). Donnelly (1788-1820) won three major bouts, against Irish and English opponents (which made him hugely popular), then retired to run a series of pubs in Dublin. Unfortunately, he had a reputation as a drunkard, womanizer and gambler, and eventually all his ventures failed. He died in his last pub at the age of 32. His notoriety continued in death however, as legends sprung up regarding his physique, leading his body to be stolen by grave-robbers who tried to sell it to a surgeon. Donnelly's renown led the surgeon to refuse the body and he ordered it re-interred but not before he removed the right arm and shoulder blade to study the musculature. The arm, preserved and lacquered, eventually found its way to a Scottish medical school, then to a travelling circus, and finally back to Ireland where it was displayed by various pub owners. Printed source: Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and Songs), 1909; No. 303, p. 142.

X:1 T:Brave Donnelly L:1/8 M:6/8 N:"With life" S:Joyce - Old Irish Folk Music and Songs (1909) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:G D|G2G B2d|g2e dBG|A2B G2G|(G3 G2)f|g2f efg|a2g fed|c2d =f2e|(d3 d2) e/f/| G2f efg|a2g gfe/d/|c2A GA=f/e/|d3 cBA|G2G B2d|g2f edB/G/|A2B G2G|G3 G2||

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