Annotation:Bank of Ireland (1) (The)
X:1 T:Bank of Ireland [1], The M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel S:O'Neill - Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems (1907), No. 465 Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:D ed|:=cAAB cABG|EGDG EGDB|=cAAB cABG|1 Addc dfed:|2 Addc d2|| de|f2 fd e2 ec|dfed cAAg|f2 fd e2 ed|eaag eddz| fgaf efge|dfed cAAG|Addc defg|afge dfed||
BANK OF IRELAND [1], THE (Bannc na h-Éireann). AKA and see "First Day in Ireland (The)," "Follow Me Down to Carlow (4)," "Last Day in Ireland (The)." Irish, Reel. A Dorian or Mixolydian ('A' part) & D Major ('B' part). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Miller): AA'B (O'Neill/1850, 1001 & 1915): AABB (Harker/Rafferty, Mallinson, O'Neill/Krassen, Taylor). "Bank of Ireland" is a popular reel at Irish sessions today. The first strain is built on a C Major chord at the beginning of each four bar phrase, but resolves to a D Major chord at the end of each. "Bank of Ireland" was recorded in the 1924 by flute player Tom Morrision with fiddler Tom Higgins and melodeon player P.J. Conlon. Although the 'c' note is usually played natural in the tune, the melodeon does not have a 'c' natural note in the scale, necessitating the players to either play the note as a 'c sharp' or modulating to a relative minor key [1]. Researcher Conor Ward finds a version very close to that printed by O'Neill under the title "Follow Me Down to Carlow (4)" in the c. 1885 music manuscript collection of fiddler Francis Reynolds of Gaigue, Ballinamuck, County Longford (albeit "Follow Me Down to Carlow" is a title usually applied to other, unrelated, tunes). Reynold's version is played with two sharps throughout. Ward also finds another manuscript version as "First Day in Ireland (The)" in the c. 1883 copybook of Gortletteragh, Co. Leitrim, musician Stephen Grier. See also note for "annotation:Reidy's Reel."
