Comments

150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Companion to a previous thread listing reels. I probably missed a fair number of jigs, although outside a core hundred or so jigs, it seems like a wider array of jigs get played out--varying more from one session to the next--in comparison to reels.

I'm aiming here to include single and double jigs, not slides or slip jigs (I'll get to those later), that are widely played at Irish sessions.

Please post likely additions.

Andy DeJarlis’
Apples in Winter
Atholl Highlanders
Austin Barret’s
Banish Misfortune
The Bank of Turf
Banks of Lough Gowna
The Black Rogue
The Blackthorne Stick
Boys of Lough Gowna
The Battering Ram
Behind the Haystack
The Blackthorn Stick
The Blarney Pilgrim
The Boys of Coomanore
The Boys of the Town
Brendan Tonra’s
Brid Harper’s
Bridal Jig
Bundle and Go
Buttermilk Mary
Calliope House
The Carraroe Jig
The Castle (aka Sean Ryan’s)
Castletown Connors
Cherish the Ladies
Child of My Heart
Christy Barry’s No. 1
Christy Barry’s No. 2
Cliffs of Moher
Coleraine (aka Kitty of Coleraine)
Con Cassidy’s
The Connaughtman’s Rambles
Contentment is Wealth
The Cook in the Kitchen
Coppers and Brass
The Cordal
Crabs in the Skillet
The Cuil Aodha
Down the Back Lane
Drunken Gauger
East to Glendart (aka Road to Glendart)
The Eavesdropper
Fly in the Pint
Fraher’s
Frieze Britches
The Frost is All Over
The Full Rigged Ship
Gallagher’s Frolics
Gander in the Pratie Hole
Garrett Barry’s
Geese in the Bog
the other Geese in the Bog
Gillan’s Apples
The Gold Ring
The Hag at the Churn
The Hag with the Money
The Hare in the Corn
Haste to the Wedding
The Haunted House
Health to the Ladies
Hole in the Hedge
House in the Glen
The Humours of Ballyloughlin
Humours of Ennystymon
Humours of Trim
I Buried My Wife and Danced on Her Grave
The Idle Road
Ingonish
Jackson’s
Jig of Slurs
Jimmy Ward’s Favorite
John Naughton’s
The Joy of My Life (aka Donnybrook Fair)
The Kerfunteun (aka The Kerfunken)
Kesh Jig
Kilfenora Jig
The Killavil Jig
King of the Pipers
Kinnegad Slashers
The Kitchen Maid
Kitty’s Rambles
Knocknagow
Langstrom’s Pony
Lannigan’s Ball
Lark in the Morning
Lark on the Strand
The Lark’s March
Larry O’Gaff
The Legacy Jig
The Leitrim Fancy
The Lilting Banshee
Maid at the Spinning Wheel
The Maid in the Meadow
The Market Town
Mice in the Cupboard (aka) Willie Coleman’s
Mike McGoldrick’s
The Miller’s Maggot
Mist Covered Mountain
The Monaghan Jig
The Mooncoin Jig
Morrison’s Jig
Mug of Brown Ale
Munster Buttermilk
My Darling Asleep
Da New Rigged Ship
The Nightingale (aka Sean Ryan’s)
Off She Goes
The Old Favourite
The Old Grey Goose
Old Hag You Have Killed Me
The Orphan
Out on the Ocean
Paddy Clancy’s
Paddy Fahy’s
Paddy O’Rafferty’s
Pipe on the Hob
Pull the Knife and Stick it Again
The Rakes of Clonmel
The Rakes of Kildare
Rambling Pitchfork
Road to Lisdoonvarna
The Rolling Waves
The Rose in the Heather
Saddle the Pony
Scatter the Mud
The Scotsman Over the Border
Sean Buí
Sean Ryan’s
Shandon Bells
Ship in Full Sail
Smash the Windows
Sport
St. Patrick’s Day
Stan Chapman’s
The Strayaway Child
Swallowtail Jig
The Swedish Jig
The Tar Road to Sligo
Tatter Jack Walsh (aka Father Jack Walsh)
Tell Her I Am
The Tenpenny Bit
Tobin’s Favourite
Tom Billy’s
Top of Cork Road (aka Father O’Flynn’s)
Trip to Athlone
The Trip to Sligo
Tripping Upstairs
Up in the Air
Up Sligo
Walls of Liscarroll
Whelan’s Fancy
When Sick is it Tea that You Want?
The White Petticoat
The Woodcock
Young Tom Ennis (aka Banshee’s Wail Over the Mangle Pit)

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by Will Harmon

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

High Part of the Road
the other Pipe on the Hob
Dusty Windowsills
The Kerry
The Diplodocus
The Cowboy

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by John Galt

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Goat on the Green (Frog in the Well)

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by John Galt

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Engaging pedant mode...

Is The Blackthorne Stick different to The Blackthorn Stick, or is that tune more essential than most? ;-)

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by robharper

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

That's odd, where I was only familiar with the names of about half the reels, I'm over 95% of the jigs, (and probably know the rest). I wonder why that is?

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by ...

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Drummond Castle!!!
(nice list Will :-) )

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by mehitabel23

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Yes I'm the same - it seems I recognise more of the jigs (not as many as Michael though, in either category).

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by Rudall the time

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

It's the old religion Michael - you see, you've got that Holy Trinity thing in your bones!

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by the wounded hussar

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

I'd add the following fairly common tunes

Biddy from Sligo
Cock o the north
Donnybrook fair
Dusty windowsills
Humours of Glendart
Irish washerwoman (groan)
Myra's
Old Joe
Out with the boys
Seven stars
Stool of repentance
Toormore
Willie Coleman's
Whistler at the wake

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by domhnall.

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

ps Da new rigged ship is a reel (and a fine reel at that!)

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by domhnall.

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Here are some not on your list that get played in our session:
Aaron's Key
Around the World for Sport
Boys of Tandernagee
Catholic Boy
Coleman's Cross
Dermot Grogan's
Dusty Windowsills
Fair Haired Boy
Farewell to Jim
Fasten the Legging
Father O'Flynn
Handsome Young Maids
Hag's Purse
Humours of Kilcloug
Hole in the Boat
Irish Washerwoman (Sorry)
Lake Shore
McHugh's
Miller of Glanmire
Neary's
One That Was Lost
Patsy Geary's
Pay the Reckoning
Ryan's
Sixpenny Money
Sonny Brogan's
That's More of it
Winnie Hayes'
You Will Come Home

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by Lurcherjohn

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Nice lists.

Reels was good, too.
(tips his hat)

Could you do hornpipes next?

Appreciatively,
Rook

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by Piece

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

And Will's list in 2 columns:
http://www.telefonica.net/web2/deb/2cjigs

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by Ramiro

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Behind the Haystack
Blooming Meadows
Dan Collins' Father's
Fisherman's Lilt
Jerry's Beaver Hat
An Luathraidan
Paddy's Resource (aka New York Jig)
The Scartaglen
Seamus Cooley's
Strop the Razor

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by GaryAMartin

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Sliabh Russell

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by Jusa Nutter Eejit

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Paddy on the Turnpike

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by ethical blend

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

This is helpful--nearly all the jigs you kind folks have suggested were ones I almost included on the initial list, but wondered whether they were really that widely played.

A few notes:

Dusty Windowsills is also known as Austin Barrett's, I think? I used the Austin Barrett's title.

East/Road to Glendart same as Home to Glendart.

Donnybrook Fair is listed as Joy of My Life.

Willie Coleman's is listed as Mice in the Cupboard.

Please straighten me out if I've mixed spuds and rutabagas on these names/tunes.

Glad to see Fasten the Legging (aka Fasten the leg In Her), Coleman's Cross, and Winnie Hayes' added to the list.

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by Will Harmon

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Where's the Old Tipperary? I played it at least twice during my short stay in London and Dublin a few weeks ago.

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by slainte

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Good catch, slainte.

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by Will Harmon

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

In which case, the one John Kelly used to put with it: We Will be Drinking and Kissing the Women in the Morning

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by ethical blend

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

There are a few on lurcherjohn's list that are on your list with a different title - father o'flynn as top of the cork road, pay the reckoning as jackson's etc...

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by Jusa Nutter Eejit

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

JNE, yep, no shortage of aliases.

Ben, I'll have to go look that one up The title looks longer than 8 bars--hope the tune lives up to it. ;-)

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by Will Harmon

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Ah, Ben, you mean Bimid Ag Ol: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/3456

Yes, one to add.

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by Will Harmon

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

One of my two favorite jigs (t'other being Ballyloughlin).

I'm told it's got a much shorter name in Gaelic

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by ethical blend

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Cross post. Yep. That's the one, Will. Totally brilliant.

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by ethical blend

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

I didn't spot 'Trip to the Cottage', one of my favourites, but it might have an alias already listed.

# Posted on June 11th 2008 by MacCruiskeen

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Beautiful job, Will Very nice compilation...reels and jigs...looking forward to your next post of tunes!
SWFl...you better learn Langstroms Pony before the next session!!~ ha-ha. I'm thinkin' I'll make it this Sunday...Father's Day and all

# Posted on June 12th 2008 by Celticmermaid

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Langstrom's Pony, check. (I'd better get on the stick...)

# Posted on June 12th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Aren't Mouse in the Cupboard and Willy Colman's are two different tunes? Also, the first of the "Christy Barry" tunes has a name: The Butlers of Glen Ave.

# Posted on June 12th 2008 by Phantom Button

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Sorry... I mean the second one.

# Posted on June 12th 2008 by Phantom Button

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

As far as I know, Mouse in the Cupboard is different from Mice in the Cupboard.

Mice (aka Willie Coleman's): http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/476

Mouse (aka Wallop the Potlid): http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/476

And yes, Christy Barry's No. 2 is also known as Butlers of Glen Avenue, but then Lunasa botched the tune titles and got it confused with the Roaring Barmaid: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/91

So I use Christy Barry's Nos. 1 and 2 just to avoid confusion. On Late...In The Night, even Chrsty just calls them "Christy Barry's Set."

# Posted on June 12th 2008 by Will Harmon

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

On a side note, Sligo flute player, Sonny McDonough (RIP) told me he was sitting next to his good friend, Martin Wynne, at Willy Coleman's funeral when they unveiled the tombstone with Willy Coleman's jig engraved on it. He told me that Martin leaned over to Sonny and quietly said, "I wrote that tune actually."

# Posted on June 12th 2008 by Phantom Button

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Aha! The Houlichan Jig. Got to have that. It was the signature tune (and dance) of the band I was (am?) in called the Hooleys. Whenever I play it, I have this wonderful image of me ole mate Peter Kennedy, aged 82, big and beautiful, but dying of prostate cancer, up and calling out the steps at the top of his voice and dancing every step with an energy most people wouldn't match at ANY age.

# Posted on June 12th 2008 by ethical blend

Re: 150 or so "essential" Irish session jigs

Humours of Ballingarry
Gaelic Club

# Posted on June 17th 2008 by Brown Creeper