The Pretty Girls Of Mayo

reel

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on September 7th 2003 by Trevor Jennings.

This tune has been added to 94 tunebooks.

Also known as Pretty Girls Of Mayo.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• Back In Town by Paddy Killoran
• Callan Bridge by Niall And Cillian Vallely
• Celtic Roots (Spirit Of Dance) by John Whelan
• Deireadh An Fhómhair - End Of The Harvest by Declan Masterson
• Farewell To Ireland CD 2 (Of A Box Set Of 4) by Various Artists
• Fonnchaoi by Verena Commins And Julie Langan
• Honk Toot Suite by Éamonn Coyne And Kris Drever
• Just Piping by Michael Cooney
• Number 6 by Sean Potts
• Out Of Ireland by Mick Moloney
• Out Of The Blue by Alan Kelly
• Out Of The Woods by Randal Bays
• Round The House: Music For The Sets Volume 1 by Various Artists
• Sligo Fiddle (Disk 2) by John Vesey
• The Art Of Traditional Fiddle Playing by Matt Cranitch
• The Barley Grain by Larry Kinsella
• The Chieftains 5 by The Chieftains
• The Dusty Miller by Conor, Gay And Seán McKeon
• The Heather Breeze by Heathery Breeze Ceili Band
• The Kilmore Fancy by Catherine McEvoy And John McEvoy
• The Wheels Of The World, Early Irish American Music, Vol 2 by Various Artists
• Tin Whistles by Paddy Moloney And Sean Potts
• Within A Mile Of Dublin by Paul O'Shaughnessy And Paul McGrattan

X: 1
T: Pretty Girls Of Mayo, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
GFDG ~GABd|ef (3ddd fdcA|G2FG ABde|1 fdcA GBAF:|2 fdcA BGG2||
gage fd (3ddd|fdge fdcA|gage fdde|fdcA BGG2|
gage fd (3ddd|fdge fdcA|defg abag|fdcA G4||

The Pretty Girls of Mayo (reel)

This was the final tune taught us by John McEvilly at the Scoil Éigse in Clonmel this August. It follows Maids of Castlebar which he taught us the same day.
Note that there are many differences between John McEvilly's version and that in Henrik Norbeck's collection (hn-reel-319).
Trevor

# Posted on September 7th 2003 by Trevor Jennings

The Pretty Girls of Mayo (reel)

For comparison, here is the version in Henrik Norbeck's collection (also in G):

DG~G2 A2de|fd~d2 fdcA|DG~G2 A2de|1 fdcA BGAF:|2 fdcA AGBd||
g2ge fdde|fdge fdde|~g3e fdde|fdcA AG~G2|
g2ge fdde|fdge fdd^c|defg abag|fdcA BGAF||

Trevor

# Posted on September 9th 2003 by Trevor Jennings

The link to a different setting: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/153

# Posted on October 29th 2005 by slainte

Catherine & John McEvoy

I just learnt this tune from their CD The Kilmore Fancy. I've really taken a shine to this tune and I'm not sure why. I prefer playing it on flute than banjo and maybe it just happens to sit very well on this instrument.

# Posted on March 4th 2007 by 52Paddy

This tune goes well with Down the Broom. Not sure if the two tunes are related, but they share some similar phrases.

# Posted on March 4th 2007 by slainte

Why are there two files? The second sounds better, I think.

# Posted on May 11th 2007 by flauta dolce

2-for-1 ~

Look at the sheetmusic, there are two seperate transcriptions given, each a single reel of 16 measures...

# Posted on May 11th 2007 by ceolachan

Relatives

Seems to me That Pretty Girls of Mayo is very similiar to Sean Reids ( at least to varients of Sean Reids that fon't feature the F-nat in their B Part ) eg: Mary Bergin, ditto with Doonagore.

These three are cousins if not the same tune.

Pat

# Posted on May 28th 2007 by Pat Higgins

Large family of tunes

This tune is essentially the same as tune #153, Sweet Biddy of Ballyvournie, which also appears under a number of further titles.

# Posted on January 22nd 2010 by rwwt