Irish Traditional Music Tune Index
Tune ID# 1733 (Scotsman over the Border)

RhythmBars8-bar phrase structureMode
Double jig32AABBD Major
Transcription of first 2 bars of Scotsman over the Border
 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 GD (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):
Scotsman over the Border, The / Scotsman over the Border / The Scotchman over the Border / Blue Bonnets over the Border / Mist in the Glen / Mist on the Meadow (for 3rd figure of Taille Mhara Jig Set on MISD 7) (compare Carraroe Jig #282 and Blue Bonnets Jig #182)
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
193414#1[GD] various. From Galway to Dublin. Early Recordings of Traditional Irish Music. View album details
197713#1[MBP] Matt Molloy, Paul Brady, Tommy Peoples. Matt Molloy. Paul Brady. Tommy Peoples. Matt Molloy (flute), Paul Brady (guitar, vocals), Tommy Peoples (fiddle).View album details
19782#1[EOD] Eugene O'Donnell. Slow Airs and Set Dances. Eugene O'Donnell (fiddle).View album details
19789#1[NHTL] Noel Hill and Tony Linnane. Noel Hill and Tony Linnane. Noel Hill (concertina), Tony Linnane (fiddle).View album details
19865#2[TJC] Frankie Gavin and Paul Brock. Ómós do Joe Cooley. A Tribute to Joe Cooley. Frankie Gavin (fiddle), Paul Brock (accordion).View album details
~199218#1[MMM] various. Music at Matt Molloy's. View album details
~1996A.3#2[MISD 6] Donncha Lynch Trio. The Magic of Irish Set Dancing. Vol. 6. Donncha Lynch (accordion), Aogán Lynch (concertina), Donncha Lynch Jr. (guitar).View album details
~1996B.3#2[MISD 7] Donncha Lynch Trio. The Magic of Irish Set Dancing. Vol. 7. Donncha Lynch (accordion), Aogán Lynch (concertina), Donncha Lynch Jr. (guitar).View album details
~19998#1[MtRd] various. The Mountain Road. A Compilation of Tunes Popular in South Sligo. View album details
200112#1[JCrv] John Creaven. The Story So Far. John Creaven (flute).View album details
~20024#3[BCw] Brian Conway. First through the Gate. Brian Conway (fiddle).View album details
~20041#2[MRaf] Mike Rafferty. Speed 78. Mike Rafferty (flute, pipes).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.

As tune #89 in [DM 1] Dave Mallinson. 100 Essential Irish Session Tunes. [available]
As jig #5 in [HN] Henrik Norbeck. Henrik Norbeck's Abc Tunes. [available]
On page 27 of [RM] Randy Miller and Jack Perron. Irish Traditional Fiddle Music. [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): 1934