Irish Traditional Music Tune Index
Tune ID# 742 (Gold Ring)

RhythmMode
Double jigG Major
Transcription of first 2 bars of Gold Ring
 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 SE 6 (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):
Gold Ring, The / The Gold Ring 1 / An Fáinne Óir / Tá Fáinne Air / The Pharroh or War March / The Pharroh (various numbers of parts, but usually 7)
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
194811#1[SE 6] Séamus Ennis. The Return from Fingal. Séamus Ennis (pipes, vocals).View album details
197314#1[WC 3] Willie Clancy. The Pipering of Willie Clancy. Volume 2. Willie Clancy (pipes, whistle).View album details
~19752#1[SK 1] Seán Keane. Gusty's Frolicks. Seán Keane (fiddle).View album details
~19764#1[MM 1] Matt Molloy accompanied by Dónal Lunny. Matt Molloy. Matt Molloy (flute).View album details
19857#1[Kn] Noel Hill and Tony MacMahon. In Knocknagree. Noel Hill (concertina), Tony MacMahon (accordion).View album details
19907#1[COG] Conal O Gráda. The Top of Coom. Conal Ó Gráda (flute).View album details
19978#1[SCAC] Séamus Creagh, Aidan Coffey. Séamus Creagh, Aidan Coffey. Séamus Creagh (fiddle), Aidan Coffey (accordion).View album details
~200013#2[EOR] Eoin Ó Riabhaigh. Tiomnacht. Handed On. Eoin Ó Riabhaigh (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 #708 in [1850] Francis O'Neill and James O'Neill. O'Neill's Music of Ireland. [available]
As tune #12 in [1001] Francis O'Neill and James O'Neill. The Dance Music of Ireland. 1001 Gems. [available]
As tune #9 in volume 3 of [AW] Eithne Vallely. Learn to Play the Tin Whistle.
As tune #139 in [WC] Pat Mitchell. The Dance Music of Willie Clancy. [available]
On page 72 of [Krsn] Miles Krassen. O'Neill's Music of Ireland. New and Revised. [available]
On pages 123-124 of [FF] David Brody. The Fiddler's Fakebook. [available]
As tune #51 in [DM 2] Dave Mallinson. 100 Enduring Irish Session Tunes. [available]
On page 84 of [M] Phil Rubenzer. Midwestern Irish Session Tunes. 3rd Edition.
On page 141 of [M2] Phil Rubenzer. Midwestern Irish Session Tunes. Millennium Edition.
As jig #43 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): 1903