Annotation:Meelick Team (The)

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MEELICK TEAM, THE. AKA and see "Eddie Kelly's Jig (1)," "Martin Talty's Jig", "McGreavy's Jig," "McGreevy's." Irish, Jig. D Dorian: E Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Composed by fiddler and accordion player Eddie Kelly, in honor of the victory of the Meelick team in a 1960's hurling championship, according to Séamus Connolly. Paul Cranford's website gives conflicting information: "Meelick Team Jig commemorates a hurling team from his native parish which qualified for and played in the first All-Ireland Hurling Finals held in 1884." [1] The story of this late 19th century team is told in detail [2] about the first ever All-Ireland Hurling Final, between Meelick from Galway and Thurles from Tipperary, whose teams competed at Birr during Easter, 1888. Included on the Meelick team was Lusmagh-man John Coolahan.

Although he lives in County Roscommon at present, Kelly was originally from Meelick, Eyrecourt, near Ballinisloe, east County Galway, born in 1933. Connolly & Martin print versions of the tune in two keys, as Kelly told them he had transposed the tune into E minor at one point to better suit the instruments in his local band.

Source for notated version: button accordion player Billy McComisky (Baltimore, Md.) [Miller].

Printed sources: Connolly & Martin (Forget Me Not), 2002; pp. 66-67, 68-69. Miller (Fiddler's Throne), 2004; No. 38, p. 34 (appears as "Eddie Kelly's").

Recorded sources: AMCF01, Adrian McAuliffe & Cathal Floot - "Between the Strings."

See also listings at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [3]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [4]