Annotation:Boys of New York (1) (The)
X:1 T:Boys of New York [1], The T:Merry Old Woman [1], The M:6/8 L:1/8 R:Jig S:”By Daniel Kelleher, Clonough Castle Island, Kerry” S:P.D. Reidy music manuscript collection, London, 1890’s (No. 2) N:”Professor” Patrick Reidy of Castleisland was a dancing N:master engaged by the Gaelic League in London to teach N:dance classes. He introduced “Siege of Ennis” and “Walls N:of Limerick” ceili dances and wrote a treatise on dancing. F: http://rarebooks.library.nd.edu/digital/bookreader/MSE_1434-1/#page/1/mode/1up Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G d|ABG AGF|DGG AGF|DGG DGG|Bdg fdc| ABG AGF|DGG AGA|BdB cAF|AGG G2:| A|BAB cBc|dgg fdc|def g3|gag fdc| dgg aga|bag fdc|BdB cAF|AGG G2:|]
BOYS OF NEW YORK [1], THE. AKA and see "Merry Old Woman (1) (The)." Irish, Jig (6/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune, a version of the jig "Merry Old Woman," is sourced to Daniel Kelleher, Clonough, Castleisland, County Kerry in the c. 1890's music manuscript collection of Patrick D. Reidy [1]. Reidy, also originally from Castle Island, County Kerry, was a dancing master employed by the Gaelic League in London who introduced the country dances Walls of Liscarroll and Siege of Ennis. He was a correspondent of Francis O'Neill's in America, and sent him a music manuscript copybook that contains this tune. According to Reg Hall (A Few Tunes of Good Music, 2017) Reidy's source, Daniel Kelleher, was variously said to have been from Castleisland, Sliabh Luachra region, County Kerry, or from the native-Irish speaking region of Achadh Bolg, Múscraigh, in County Cork. Hall also found a reference to Kelleher as one of the soloists who accompanied step dancing exhibitions at Gaelic League events in London between 1897 and 1901.
