Annotation:Drinking Reel (The)
X:1 T:Drinking Reel, 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. 104) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Emin BE E/E/E BEcE|BE E/E/E BAFB|AD D/D/D ADBD|AD D/D/D/ dedc| BE E/E/E BEcE|BE E/E/E BAFA|BABc dedB|AFDE FEEc|| Beec dedc|Beec dAFA|Beec dedB|AFDE FEEc| Beec dedc|Beec dAFA|fdec dedB|AFDE FE E2||
DRINKING REEL, THE. AKA and see "Drunken Tailor (1) (The)," "Lagan Slashers (1)," "Pigeon on the Gate (1)." Irish, Reel (whole time). E Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The reel was collected in the Slieve Gullion region of south County Armagh by the Rev. Luke Donnellan (1878-1952), a rector at Dromintee, who published a collection of over 100 tunes, mostly reels, in 1909 in an article entitled "Oriel Songs and Dances" in The Journal of the County Louth Archaeological Society (vol. II, No. 2). Oriel [1] (now Oirialla), or Airgíalla, and Anglicizations, Oriel, Uriel, Orgiall, or Orgialla, was the name of an ancient Irish federation or kingdom largely in what is now the County Armagh, in the north of Ireland. Donnellan was enthusiastic about P.W. Joyce's then recently published Old Irish Music and Songs (1909), but found Irish music rather rare in his area.
The old people of Dromintee will tell you of the number and the skill of musicians who used to come to [nearby] Forkhill fair. I was told there used to be as many as thirty playing at it. They display an extensive knowledge of the names of songs and dance tunes, but cannot sing them. The reel known as “Black Haired Lass (2) (The)” No. 66 inf., seems to have been a great favourite with everyone. These facts point to a vanishing and disappearing musical culture.
Forkhill Fair, held on Michaelmas Day (Sept. 29th) was once the great horse and cattle fair, and festival of the area (St. Michael is the patron saint of horsemen).
