Irish Traditional Music Tune Index
Tune ID# 106 (Ballydesmond Polka #2)

RhythmBars8-bar phrase structureMode
Polka32AABBA Dorian
Transcription of first 2 bars of Ballydesmond Polka #2
 about these two bars

These two bars are the start of my transcription of how this tune was played – the first time through – on the recording SatG (details in the Discography below).

Where do you get the tune titles?
Titles given to this tune in the sources listed below (plus notes of mine about this tune):
Ballydesmond Polka #2 / Ballydesmond Polka No. 2 / Balleydesmond No. 2 / Ballydesmond Polka (2) / The Ballydesmond (2) / The Ballydesmond / Maurice Manley's Polka / Polka Mhuiris Uí Mhaonghaile / Donal DeBarra's Polka (2nd in set The Ballydesmond Polkas on SatG and in JOL) (compare slide #3829)
What do the "track#tune" codes mean?

cd Discography

Here are all recordings of this tune considering only the indexed recordings. I have discovered by careful listening that these sources are in fact musically the same tune, regardless of the tune titles they use, key changes, retuning, etc. They are listed in order of when they were recorded.

Year
Recorded		 Track
#Tune		 [Album code] Artist. Title. Primary musicians (instruments). Album details
and contents
~19699#2[SatG] Denis Murphy and Julia Clifford. The Star above the Garter. Fiddle music from Kerry, played by Denis Murphy and Julia Clifford. Denis Murphy (fiddle), Julia Clifford (fiddle).View album details
~19875#2[JOS 1] Jerry O'Sullivan. The Invasion. Jerry O'Sullivan (pipes).View album details
19958#1[JK 2] James Kelly and Zan McLeod. The Ring Sessions. James Kelly (fiddle), Zan McLeod (guitar, bouzouki).View album details

Bibliography

Here are all transcriptions of this tune under any title whatsoever – considering only the indexed books – listed in chronological order. I have discovered by careful comparison that these are very similar to this tune as played on the recordings listed above.

On page 126 of [RM] Randy Miller and Jack Perron. Irish Traditional Fiddle Music. [available]
As tune #117 in [CRE 2] Breandán Breathnach. Ceol Rince na hÉireann 2.
As tune #20#2 in volume 2 of [AW] Eithne Vallely. Learn to Play the Tin Whistle.
As tune #58 in [JOL] Terry Moylan. Johnny O'Leary of Sliabh Luachra. Dance Music from the Cork-Kerry Border. [available]
As polka #10 in [MM] Martin Mulvihill. First Collection of Traditional Irish Music.
As tune #35 in [Cr] Matt Cranitch. The Irish Fiddle Book. [available]
As tune #12 in [IBPS] Pat Conway. Ireland's Best Polkas and Slides. [available]
On page 223 of [M2] Phil Rubenzer. Midwestern Irish Session Tunes. Millennium Edition.
As polka #1 in [Cobb] Dan Cobb. Cobb's Music of Ireland. [available]

If you are considering using the above transcriptions to help you learn this tune, I invite you to check these practical Tips for Learning Irish Traditional Music. See also: So why do you bother indexing books and abc?

Year of the oldest source for this tune, considering the recordings and transcriptions listed above (note that I concentrate on sources after 1900): 1969
Please cite your source when you use information from this document.
© 2000–2008 Alan Ng, agng@facstaff.wisc.edu. Questions? Comments? Please use the easy Feedback Form. Thank you!
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