Irish Traditional Music Tune Index
Tune ID# 607 (Farewell to Ireland)

RhythmBars8-bar phrase structureMode
Reel32AABBD Major
Transcription of first 2 bars of Farewell to Ireland
 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 MC (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):
Farewell to Ireland / Slán le hÉireann / Slan le hEireann / Farewell to Erin / Naughton's / Naughtons / Leitrim Thrush / The Maid in the Cherry Tree (composed by Michael Coleman?)
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
19212.23#1[MC] Michael Coleman. Michael Coleman 1891-1945. Michael Coleman (fiddle).View album details
19808#3[FtE] Dolores Keane and John Faulkner with Eamonn Curran. Farewell to Erin (Farewell to Éirinn). Instruments not specified: Dolores Keane (vocals, etc.), John Faulkner (vocals, etc.), Eamonn Curran (pipes, etc.).View album details
198312#3[FG 2] Frankie Gavin. Croch Suas É. Up and Away. Frankie Gavin (flute, fiddle, whistle, accordion).View album details
~19857#2[CW] Matt Molloy and Sean Keane. Contentment Is Wealth. Matt Molloy (flute), Sean Keane (fiddle).View album details
~199119#1[MV] various. Maiden Voyage. Live Traditional Irish Music Session from Pepper's Bar, Feakle, Co. Clare. Tommy Peoples (fiddle), Siobhán Peoples (fiddle), Andrew McNamara (accordion), Kevin Crawford (flute), P.J. King (accordion), Páraic Mac Donnchadha (banjo), Pat Marsh (bouzouki), Joe Bane (whistle), John Maloney (bodhrán), Séan Mac Donnchadha (vocals).View album details
~199312#2[JKn 2] James Keane. That's the Spirit. James Keane (accordion).View album details
~199610#1[JCt 2] John Carty. Last Night's Fun. John Carty (fiddle, banjo, flute).View album details
~19966#1[JK 3] James Kelly. Traditional Irish Music. James Kelly (fiddle).View album details
~199612#1[ST] Seamus Tansey. Easter Snow. Seamus Tansey (flute).View album details
~20032#1[MMlvy] Mick Mulvey. Within a Mile o' Jamestown. Mick Mulvey (flute).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 #139 in [CRE 1] Breandán Breathnach. Ceol Rince na hÉireann 1.
As tune #27 in [WC] Pat Mitchell. The Dance Music of Willie Clancy. [available]
As reel #90 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): 1921