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The Field Guide to Paddy O'Rafferty

When you encounter a jig called "Paddy O'Rafferty," this guide helps you identify which one it is. I am assuming for now that anyone tune-nerdy enough to care about this can read abc code.

Step 1: Use this table to identify the incipits for each distinct part (could appear in any key):

Label Incipit
1a K:D |dff cec|dff gfe|dff cee|
1b K:A |Acc ABB|ABc dcB|Acc ABB| or
K:A |Acc Acc|Acc dcB|Acc
1c K:A |Acc FBB|ABc d2A|AAc FFB|AAA AFE|
2a K:D |A3 B3|gfe fdB|A3 B3|dfe dBA|
2b K:G |BDD EDD|cBA GED|BDD EDE|GAG GED|
3a K:D |fAA eAA|def gfe|fAA eAA|dfe dBA| or
K:A |cEE BEE|AEc ddB|cEE BEE|A3 AFE|
3b K:G |BDD ADD|BDD AGA|BDD ADD|GBA GBA|
3c K:G |B2G A2G|B2G AGE|B2G AGE|GAG GED|
4 K:G |GAB D2D|GAB AGE|GAB D2D|
5a K:G |dBB dBB|dBB A2B|dBB dBA|
5b K:G |DBB DAA|DBB AGA|DBB DAA| or
K:G |dBB dAA|dBB AGA|dBB AAA|
5c K:G |ggB aBB|gBB AFD|gBB aBB|GBA GED|
6 K:G |B2d dBd|dgg gfe|dBB BAG|
7 K:G |DBA A2B|d2B AGE|DBA AGE|
8a K:G |BGE D2E|GAB AGA|BGE DEF|
8b K:A |cAF DEE|AAA d3|cAF DEE|A3 AFE|
9a K:G |GBD GBD|gBd edc|BcG BdB|GAG GED| or
K:G |GBd GBd|gBd edc|BdG BdB|GAG GED|
9b K:G |G3 GBd|GBd dB^G|Afe Age|Afe edB|
10 K:G |Bdd gdd|ede ged|Bdd edB|
11 K:A |EAc EAd|EAc BAF|EAc EAd|
12a K:A |e3 fdf|efe ecd|e3 fga|AcB AFE|
12b K:G |dcd efg|ded dBG|dcd efg|GAG GED|
13 K:G |BGd AFB|GFA GDC|B,DG DEG|AcA BDD|
14 K:G |GBd gdB|GA/B/c/d/ edB|GB/c/d gdB|GBA GED
15 K:D |ABd e3|def edB|ABd ede|fef dBA|

The POR Decoder Ring

Step 2: When you encounter:

these parts, then you have this Paddy O’R
1a 2 3a
or
1a 2 3a 2'
or
1a 2 15 3a
#1522 the usual one
8a 1b #4250 the PJ Conlon one
5b 8a 9a 10 3b
or
5b 8a 10
#4565 the Kerry one
4 5a #4566 the Jim Droney one
11 12a #4567 the John Doherty one
2b 1b 12b 3c #4568 the Willie Clancy one
6 7
or
7 6
#4569 the Connemara one
1c 8b 3a #5180 the Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn one
13 9b 5c 14 #6473 the Dezi Donnelly one
8a 5a #6513 the Charlie Piggott one
8a 1b 12b 3c #8729 the Paddy Cronin one, a montage of PJ Conlon’s and Willie Clancy’s

Species Descriptions

Click the ID# links at the left of the tune name to see full information about that particular Paddy.

1522 the usual one

AABBCC = parts 1a 2 3a, or sometimes AABBCCB’B’ = 1a 2 3a 2’, and one occurrence of AABBDDCC = 1a 2 15 3a where part 15 is from whistle player Mick Smith

1522 incipit

4250 (Paddy O'Rafferty's Jig) - from PJ Conlon

AABB = parts 8a 1b

4250 incipit

4565 (Páidín Ó Raifeartaigh) - County Kerry

AABBCCDDEE = parts 5b 8a 9a 10 3b

4565 incipit

4566 (Jim Droney’s) - credited to Jim Droney

AABB = parts 4 5a

4566 incipit

4567 (Páidín Ó Raifeartaigh) from John Doherty

AABB = parts 11 12a (or with more parts but only in book NF)

4567 incipit

4568 (Paddy O'Rafferty) - Willie Clancy/O’Neill’s

ABCD = parts 2b 1b 12b 3c

4568 incipit

4569 (Páidín Ó Raifeartaigh) - Connemara

AB = parts 6 7 or BA = parts 7 6

4569 incipit

5180 (Páidín Ó Raifeartaigh) from Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn

AABBCC = 1c 8b 3a

5180 incipit

6473 (Padgin O'Rafferty) from Dezi Donnelly’s family

AABBCCDD = parts 13 9b 5c 14

6473 incipit

6513 (Páidín O'Rafferty) from Charlie Piggott

AABB = parts 8a 5a

6513 incipit

8729 (Paudeen O'Rafferty) from Paddy Cronin

AABBCCDD = 8a 1b 12b 3c

8729 incipit

Check current search results for all “Paddy O’Rafferty” jigs

https://www.irishtune.info/search.php?lookfor=string&term=paddy+o%27raf&type=jig