Jerry Beaver's Hat

jig

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on October 11th 2001 by Jdharv.

This tune has been added to 203 tunebooks.

Also known as Gerry Beaver's Hat, Gerry's Beaver Hat, Jenny's Beaver Hat, Jerry's Beaver Hat, Johnny Pouring Guinness, Paddy Get Up, The Returned Yank, The Yank's Return.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

An Ceoltoir Fanach by Cathy Custy
An Toilean Aerach by Johnny Connolly
Bruach An TSuláin by The Abbey Céilí Band
Call The Tune: Music For The Sets Volume 4 by Various Artists
Champions Of Ireland Concertina by Denise Shiel
Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 1 by Matt Cunningham
Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 4 by Matt Cunningham
Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 7 by Matt Cunningham
Doorways And Windowsills by Antoin Mac Gabhann And Mick O'Connor
Draw The Bow by Malachy Bourke
Fine by Ashley MacIsaac
First Through The Gate by Brian Conway
Foinn Seisiun 1 by Ceoltóirí Cultúrlainne
From Leitrim To London by Brian Rooney
From West To East - Live Sessions by Various Artists
Irish Traditional Concertina Styles by Various Artists
It's About Time by Allie Bennett
Live-Disc 2 by Natalie MacMaster
No Matter How Cold And Wet You Are by Craobh Rua
Northern Tradition by Mary Mulholland
Old Time Irish Music In America by Terry Teahan And Gene Kelly
Past Masters Of Irish Fiddle Music by Various Artists
Rabharta by Feenish
Set Dances Of Ireland, Volume II by Various Artists
Speed 78 by Mike Rafferty
Stanley And Grimm by Stanley And Grimm
Step Into The Beat: Modern Irish Dance Music by Ellery Klein And Ryan Lacey
Sweet Nyaa by Moving Cloud
The Best Of Traditional Irish Music From Ireland's Number One Céilí Band by The Kilfenora Ceili Band
The Fabulous Kilfenora Ceili Band by The Kilfenora Ceili Band
The Flute Players Of Roscommon - Vol 1 by Various Artists
The Lakes Of Sligo by Carmel Gunning
The More That's Said The Less The Better by Craobh Rua
The Sound Of Coleman Country by Various Artists
The Wind That Shakes The Barley by Jim McKillop And Mary Mulholland
Traditional Irish Tunes Played On The Tin Whistle (1/2) by Geraldine Cotter
Traditional Music From Cape Breton by Various Artists
Tunes For Practice by Seamus Creagh
When Here Meets There by Troy MacGillivray And Shane Cook

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Jerry's Otter coat

There's a very funny character who is a regular at one of the pubs I go to. He's a favorite of the session players (named Gerry) and in the winter, he comes cloaked from head to foot in an otter skin coat (he does have a matching hat by the way), and the players often launch into this very tune to herald his arrival.

# Posted on January 23rd 2002 by Kerri Brown

Hats off to Jerry

Since (really) the name of this jig is Jerry's Beaver Hat - the question has to asked (at least by a naïve American):
Are there Beavers in Ireland?
re

# Posted on June 25th 2004 by ralpheym

It's called "I Don't Know" on the "Champions of Ireland: Concertina" CD.

# Posted on April 3rd 2006 by 52Paddy

Irish beaver

I just identified this tune from a recording of a Randal Bays workshop, using the advanced abc search. I was beginning to think I might have to bug Dow, ceoloachan or Will again. Cheers, Jeremy!

Re: beavers in Ireland
(a response to ralpheym's 2-yr old query ;-) )
Setting aside the American slang and obvious jokes for a moment, I can’t find any mention of beavers ever being native to Ireland. Archeology magazine recently ran an article about Castor fiber, the European beaver, in England, Wales and Scotland. It was hunted to extinction in Britain for its castoreum, an oily glandular secretion believed to have medicinal properties.

Giraldus Cambrensis (aka Gerald of Wales) c. 1146 – 1223, Norman Welsh churchman and historian, wrote in his Topographia Hibernica:

“Ireland has badgers but not beavers. In Wales beavers are to be found only in the Teifi river near Cardigan.”

That was in 1188.

Still, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn of beaver remains being discovered in a prehistoric midden somewhere in Ireland.

Bryony Coles argues in "Beavers in Britain's Past" that beavers vanished from human perception but did not become extinct on Great Britain until the later second millennium AD. By 1600 or so beaver survived only in place names, ie. Beverly.

From about 1550 until 1850, felt hats became fashionable (quite a run, that) Every properly dressed man for three hundred years wore a felt hat. Beaver fur was an excellent raw material. Beaver fur holds its shape under rough wear and successive wettings more than felt made from wool. By the late 1500's, the beaver was extinct in western Europe and was close to extinction in Scandinavia and Russia. The North American fur trade became a new source and kept the fashion going for another 200 years.

In October 2005, six European beavers were released in Gloucestershire, and there are plans for reintroductions in Scotland and Wales.

# Posted on August 14th 2007 by fidkid

A variation

# Posted on November 21st 2008 by justjim

A relation

this tune sounds close to Smash the Windows http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/101

# Posted on June 1st 2010 by birlibirdie

There are only two species of beavers: the European and the American. The European being slightly bigger. Some American populations exist on European ground. But the presence of beavers in Ireland has never been proven alright -except in the form of fashionable hats! (Moles never made it either, except as moleskins)
I got this and more from Andrew Kitchener's book 'Beavers', published 2001-2 in the wake of the reintroduction of the beast to Scotland. A good read that includes some myths and a receipe for beaver stew!

# Posted on June 1st 2010 by birlibirdie