Annotation:Speic Seoach
X:1 T:Speic Seoach M:3/4 L:1/8 R:Air B:Walker – Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards (Dublin., 1786) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G Bd|e4 e/f/g|d4 BA|G2G2 DE|G2G2 DE|GAGEDE| G2G2 DG|A2A2 GA|B2B2 AG|AGABAG|E2 D2 BA|(G6|TG4)|| |:Bd|e4 (e/f/g)|d4 de|gagede|gagede|gagede| g2g2 eg|a2a2 ga|b2b2 ag|agabag|e2d2 (g/a/b)|Tg6|g6:|]
SPEIC SEOACH, AN. AKA - "Speic seoigheach (An)," "Humors of Joyce's Country," "Joycean Greeting (The)." Irish, Air (3/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. "An speic seoigheach" was printed in Walker's Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards (Dublin, 1786), followed quickly by an appearance in the Thompson’s Hiberian Muse (London, 1786).
Walker remarked that the tune was written down by the Rev. Dr. Young while on a visit to County Roscommon, who obtained it in 1785 from oral singing tradition. “Several districts of this kingdom have certain appellations for airs which originated in them," wrote Walker, "as "Speic Seoach,” the Speic or humours of Joyce’s country.” The Percy Society maintained that “Speice, according to O’Brien, is a prop or support, and Seoach is the Irish mode of writing Joyce; the literal meaning therefore is 'the leader of the Joyces,' a gigantic race inhabiting the wild district of Connamara, in the county of Galway"[1].
- ↑ Percy Society, Early English poetry, ballads, and popular literature of the Middle Ages, Volume 7, 1842, pp. 30-31.