X:1
T:Boy in the Gap [1], The
M:C
L:1/8
R:Reel
S:Rev. Luke Donnellan – “Oriel Songs and Dances",
S:Journal of the County Louth Archaeological Society (vol. II, No. 2, 1909; No. 94)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:D (no sig in ms)
F2 ED d2 cB|ABAG ABAG|F2 ED d2 cB|ABAG FDDF:|
|:g|f2 fg fddf|edef edcB|ABcd efge|eaag ed d2:|]
BOYS IN THE GAP [1] (An Buachaill sa Bhearna). AKA - "Boy in the Gap." AKA and see "Boys of Cappoquin (The)," "Farmer's Lass (The)." Irish, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). ABB (Breathnach/vol. 1, Flaherty): AABA (Cole): AABB (Miller & Perron, Songer): AABB' (Breathnach/vol. 3): ABCD (Mitchell). "Boy(s) in the Gap" is contained in the music manuscript collection of curate and fiddler biography:Rev. Luke Donnellan (1878-1952), Oriel region, south Ulster[1]. The Boys of the Lough say this tune is a good flute tune and a great favorite of flute player Paddy Taylor, who has added a third part, and this is the version most popular in modern sessions. Bernard Flaherty (1990) notes that the tune was always played in County Sligo as a two-part tune, until late, when the three-part version (popular throughout Ireland) took hold. A version of the tune appears in the large mid-19th century music manuscript collection of County Cork cleric and uilleann piper Canon biography:James Goodman under the title “Farmer's Lass (The).” The 'boy/gap' title holds sexual connotations for some.
Additional notes
Source for notated version : - accordion player Sonny Brogan (County Sligo/Dublin, Ireland) [Breathnach, vol. 1] and piper Paddy Moloney (Ireland) [Breathnach, vol. 3]; flute player Sonny McDonagh (b. 1926, Rinnarogue, Bunninadden, County Sligo, Ireland) [Flaherty]; piper Willie Clancy (1918-1973, Miltown Malbay, west Clare) [Mitchell]; George Penk (Portland, Oregon) who learned it from Dennis Rothrock who learned it from the album "Boys of the Lough" [Songer]; Boys of the Lough [Miller & Perron]; biography:Rev. Luke Donnellan music manuscript collection, c. 1909 (Oriel region, south Ulster) [O'Connor].
Printed sources : - Breathnach (Ceol Rince na hÉireann vol. I), 1963; No. 132, p. 53. Breathnach (Ceol Rince na hÉireann vol. III), 1985; No. 101, p. 51. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 27. Donnellan (Journal of the County Louth Archaeological Society, vol. II, No. 2), 1909; No. 94 (as "Boy in the Gap"). Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; 121. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music vol. 2), 1977; No. 31. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 52. Mitchell (Dance Music of Willie Clancy), 1993; No. 47, pp. 56-57. O'Connor (The Rose in the Gap), 2018; No. 198, p. 102. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 53. Songer (Portland Collection), 1997; p. 38 (appears as "Boy in the Gap"). Vallely (Learn to Play the Tin Whistle with the Armagh Pipers Club), vol. 3; 15.
Recorded sources : - Claddagh Records CC2, Paddy Moloney - "Paddy Moloney, The Chieftains" (1969). GTD Heritage Trad. HCD 008, Tommy Peoples - "Traditional Irish Music Played on the Fiddle" (appears as "Boy in the Gap"). Shanachie 79002, "The Boys of the Lough" (1973).
See also listing at :
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]
Back to Boys in the Gap (1)
- ↑ Donnellan researcher Gerry O'Connor came to believe the ms. is not the work of the curate but rather was originally compiled by an unknown but able fiddler over the course of a playing lifetime, probably in the late 19th century. The ms. later came into the possession of Donnellan, who was also a fiddler.
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