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The Irish Traditional Music Tune Index

Tune ID#107 (Ballydesmond Polka)

Transcription of first 2 bars of Ballydesmond Polka about these two bars
These two bars were transcribed by me from how this tune was played – the first time through – on the recording SatG (details in the Discography below).
Basic musical information on this tune.
Rhythm ?Bars8-bar phrase structureMode ?
Polka32AABBA Dorian
Titles ? given to this tune in the sources listed below (plus notes of mine about this tune):
Ballydesmond Polka, The / Ballydesmond Polka #3 / Ballydesmond Polka No. 3 / The Ballydesmond Polka No. 3 / The Ballydesmond (3) / Balleydesmond No. 1 / Ballyesmond / Bally Desmond / Tom Billy's / Tom Billy's Polka / Polca Tom Billy / Gneeveguilla Polka / Gneevequilla Polka / The Glountane Polka (3rd in set The Ballydesmond Polkas on SatG and in JOL; 3rd in set Three Kerry Polkas on Ch 5; for 2nd figure of The West Kerry Set on JRSLCB 2) (also in D Dorian or E Dorian, also as air)
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Discography cd

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.

Click play below to hear the first 12 seconds.
Year
Recorded		 Track
#Tune?		 [Album code] Artist. Title (Link to Album Info page). Performers (instruments).
194916#3
[POK] Pádraig O'Keeffe. The Sliabh Luachra Fiddle Master. Pádraig O'Keeffe (fiddle). For this tune: with Denis Murphy (fiddle).
~19699#3
[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).
~19753#3
[Ch 5] The Chieftains. 5. Paddy Moloney (pipes, whistle), Seán Potts (whistle), Michael Tubridy (flute, concertina, whistle), Seán Keane (fiddle), Martin Fay (fiddle), Derek Bell (harp, oboe, timpán), Peadar Mercier (bodhrán, bones).
~1977A.4#3
[CronBrk] Johnny Cronin and Joe "Banjo" Burke. Cronin and Burke. Johnny Cronin (fiddle), Joe "Banjo" Burke (banjo).
~19772.6#3
[NaF 5] Na Filí. Chanter's Tune. Unidentified on this reissue, but from the original: Tomás Ó Canainn (pipes, vocals), Tom Barry (whistles, flute), Matt Cranitch (fiddle).
1984B.2#1
[Boys 12] Boys of the Lough. Far from Home. Aly Bain (fiddle), Cathal McConnell (flute, whistle), Dave Richardson (concertina, mandolin, cittern), Tich Richardson (guitar).
~199615#1
[PCln] Pat Cloonan. Pat Cloonan's Thanksgiving. Patrick Cloonan (accordion). For this tune: Martin Hayes (fiddle), Jeff Morello (harmonica).
~199615#2
[PCln] Pat Cloonan. Pat Cloonan's Thanksgiving. Patrick Cloonan (accordion). For this tune: Martin Hayes (fiddle), Jeff Morello (harmonica). Accordion is not audible.
~199814#2
[JRSLCB 2] Johnny Reidy and the Sliabh Luachra Ceili Band. Music for Set Dancing Vol. II. Johnny Reidy (accordion).
~20002#2
[DH 3] Dan Herlihy and John Drew. The Ballydesmond Polka. Traditional Irish Music from Sliabh Luachra Played By Dan Herlihy and John Drew. Dan Herlihy (accordion), John Drew (mandocello).
~20045#6
[Boh 4] Bohola. 4. Jimmy Keane (piano accordion, vocals, foot), Sean Cleland (fiddle), Pat Broaders (dordan, vocals), Kat Eggleston (vocals).
~20049#2
[JK 4] James Kelly. Melodic Journeys. James Kelly (fiddle).
201112#3
[IFMCK] Connie O'Connell. Irish Fiddle Music from Counties Cork and Kerry. Connie O'Connell (fiddle).

Goes Well with . . .

In the above Discography, this tune is:

Played afterOn Albums
Ballydesmond Polka #2		SatG, IFMCK
Campdown Races		POK
Murroe		Ch 5
As I Went Out upon the Ice		CronBrk
Dan Coakley		NaF 5
Ballydesmond Polka		PCln
Johnny Box		JRSLCB 2
Eileen's Polka		DH 3
Bridgie Con Matt's		JK 4
Terry 'Cuz' Teahan's		Boh 4
Played beforeOn Albums
Jimmy Doyle's Polka		POK
Weaver's Delight		Boys 12
Ballydesmond Polka		PCln
John Ryan's Polka		JRSLCB 2
Denis Murphy's Polka		JK 4

Bibliography

Here are all transcriptions of this tune considering only the indexed books, listed in chronological order. I have discovered by careful comparison that these are musical matches to this tune as played on the recordings listed above.

Listing of published transcriptions of this tune.
On page 37 of [IFMCK] Drew Beisswenger. Irish Fiddle Music from Counties Cork and Kerry. [available]
As tune #20#3 in volume 2 of [LPTW] Eithne Vallely. Learn to Play the Tin Whistle. [available]
As tune #73 in [CRE 3] Breandán Breathnach. Ceol Rince na hÉireann 3. [available]
On page 130 of [RM] Randy Miller and Jack Perron. Irish Traditional Fiddle Music. [available]
As tune #59 in [JOL] Terry Moylan. Johnny O'Leary of Sliabh Luachra. Dance Music from the Cork-Kerry Border. [available]
As polka #11 in [MM] Martin Mulvihill. First Collection of Traditional Irish Music.
On page 41 of [SLoP] Paul Deloughery. Sliabh Luachra on Parade. [available]
As tune #36 in [Cr] Matt Cranitch. The Irish Fiddle Book. [available]
In [L] Alan's private loose music.
As tune #75 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 #2 in [Cobb] Dan Cobb. Cobb's Music of Ireland. [available]
As tune #284 in [Raff] Lesl Harker. 300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty. [available]
On page 121 of [IFMCK] Drew Beisswenger. Irish Fiddle Music from Counties Cork and Kerry. [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 only the recordings and transcriptions listed above (note that I concentrate on sources after 1900): 1949
Please cite your source when you use information from this document.
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