Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Farewell To Erin

reel

Key signature: Adorian

Submitted on May 21st 2001 by Jeremy.

This tune has been added to 720 tunebooks.

Also known as Erin's Welfare, Farewell To Éire, Farewell To Ireland, Goodbye To Ireland.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

1891-1945 Disc 2 by Michael Coleman
Afterhours by The Bothy Band
Airs And Graces by Phil Cunningham
An Buachaill Dreoite by Joe Ryan
An Exciting Session With One Of Ireland's Leading Traditional Fiddlers by Tommy Peoples
An Toilean Aerach by Johnny Connolly
Archives #2 by Jean Carignan
As Long As You're Enjoying Yourself by John Brennan And John McGillian
Briary Lads by Aidan Crossey
Bruscar Bán by The Culchies
Captain Hopper's Mutiny by Bowi
Cathal Hayden by Cathal Hayden
Classic Recordings Of The Irish Fiddle Legend by Paddy Reynolds
Contentment Is Wealth by Matt Molloy And Sean Keane
Cornerstone by Celtic Spring
Croch Suas E by Frankie Gavin
Cronin And Burke by Johnny Cronin And Joe Burke
Culann's Hounds by Culann's Hounds
De Danann by De Danann
Deadly Buzz / Aoibhinn Crónán by Mick O'Brien And Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh
Dear Old Erin's Isle: Irish Traditional Music From America by Various Artists
Drink The Night Away by Blackbeers
Easter Snow by Seamus Tansey
Echoes Of Sliabh Luachra by Billy Clifford
Encore by Celtic Fiddle Festival
Exile by Doolin'
Farewell To Eirinn by Dolores Keane, John Faulkner And Eamonn Curran
Farewell To Ireland by Patrick Mangan
Farewell To Ireland CD 1 (of A Box Set Of 4) by Various Artists
Fiddle Fair: Declan McCarthy's Baltimore by Various Artists
Fiddleminded by Judy Plester
Fidil 3 by Fidil
From West To East - Live Sessions by Various Artists
Gusty's Frolicks by Sean Keane
Highlander's Farevell by Alasdair Fraser With Natalie Haas
In The Footsteps Of Coleman by Various Artists
Irish Fiddles And Pipes by Liam Rowsome
Irish Piping Tradition by Gay McKeon
Irish Whistles by Various Artists
Last Night's Fun by John Carty
Like The Wind (Ar Nos Na Gaoithe) by John Wynne
Live At Trinity Hall by Trinity Hall Session Players
Live In Concert by The Bothy Band
Lochaber No More by Boys Of The Lough
Masters Of Irish Music by Martin Byrnes
Memories Of Ireland by Matt Cunningham
Music Of Sligo by Peter Horan And Fred Finn
Musiques Traditionnelles D'Irlande by The Crickard Brothers
My Love Is In America by Various Artists
North-by-NorthWest by Eliot Grasso And Dave Cory
Notes From The Heart by Mick, Louise And Michelle Mulcahy
Old Hag You Have Killed Me by The Bothy Band
One More... by Caa A Dram
Paddy In The Smoke by Various Artists
Paddy Keenan by Paddy Keenan
Passing Time by Mary And Jim Coogan
Past Masters Of Irish Fiddle Music by Various Artists
Piper's Dance by Ballycastle
Potsticks by Sean Moloney
Sean Potts by Sean Potts And Paddy Moloney
Shame The Devil by Turlach Boylan
Shaskeen Irish Pub Session by Shaskeen
Sheila Maguire by Sheila Maguire
Sheridan's Guesthouse by Dave Sheridan
Short Stories by Grainne Murphy
Slainte Mhath by Slainte Mhath
So Far by Eileen Ivers
Spinndrift by Mooncoin
Storm The Kettle by Eamonn Dillon
Tasty Touches CD 1 by Martin Donohoe
That's The Spirit by James Keane
The Blue Bottle by InisFail
The Bridge Céilí Band by The Bridge Céilí Band
The Crooked Road by William Coulter
The First Month Of Summer by Buttons And Bows
The Friday Night Sessions: Traditional Music From Glasgow by Various Artists
The High Part Of The Road by Tommy Peoples And Paul Brady
The Irish Concertina by Noel Hill
The Professor by James Morrison
The Road Of Tears by Battlefield Band
The Tocane Concerts by Various Artists
The Twisted Oak by Elizabeth Clark
The Wind That Shakes The Barley by Jim McKillop And Mary Mulholland
Tippin' Away by Damien Connolly And Pete Mancuso
Traditional Irish Dance Music by Various Artists
Traditional Irish Music by James Kelly
Traditional Music On Fiddle, Banjo, And Harp by Oisin MacDiarmada, Brian Fitzgerald, And Michael O Ruanaigh
Tripping Down The Stairs by Spiral Seisiún
Unleashed by Wolfstone
Up Against The Flatirons by Eliot Grasso
Viking Farewell by Various Artists

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Anyone who's heard the Bothy Band's version of this tune knows just how much this tune can "rock".

If you don't have a bouzouki player handy to play a power chord over with the opening note then try a double stop with an E on the D string to go with that low A on the G string...if you play fiddle; if you play whistle then I'm afraid you'll just have to hum along with the first part.

This tune isn't as difficult as it might first appear. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th parts all have the same ending. I've shown it here with three variations. I find that C sharp often throws me. Try to find a way of playing it that you're most comfortable with.

# Posted on June 1st 2001 by Jeremy

Farewell to Erin

It appears that the version Kevin Burke performs is very different than the one that Micheal Coleman does. So much so, it seems like they may be different tunes. Also, check out the Boston College Irish Festival CD, "My Love Is In America". Brian Conway plays this tune very faithfully to what Micheal Coleman does. Did the Bothy Band take some liberties with the tune? Is the Sligo version simply a radically different interpretation?

# Posted on October 20th 2001 by Caoimghgin

I believe the first version of this that I ever came across was A dorian all the way through. That was about 1981. I had tried to learn it then but wasn�t up to it at that time. Years later (ca. 1990) I heard it again played in sessions. The first three parts were still in dorian but the fourth had changed to mixolydian, like it�s written here. Played like that the last part really stands out. That�s the way it is still played in my circles. It�s been one of my favourites since I at last mastered it. And when more than one fiddle is present in the session I like to play parts 2 to 4 on the G and D strings as well, at least from the 2nd time through onwards...

Once I saw a Scottish hornpipe with this title in a collection for the highland bagpipes. The structure was roughly similar, so maybe this reel has a predecessor or a close relative in the highland pipes tradition (taken over maybe via Donegal?). That would also explain the mixolydian scale all the way through.

# Posted on October 20th 2001 by Joerg Froese

Farewell to "Erin"

This is actually called "Farewell to Ireland". Farewell to Erin is a different tune completely (O'Neill's 701). The Bothy Band confusingly called it Farewell to Erin. Whatever, it's a great tune! Tommy Peoples does a great version of it on The High Part of The Road when he prefixes the reel with the first part played as an air. It gets everyone going in sessions especially when you go back to the low A for the start of the first part and give it a bit of stick!

# Posted on July 19th 2002 by Geoff Pollitt

Farewell to Ireland

Eileen Iver's version of this is tune, done live, is the most dynamite performance, coupled with the Noisy Curlew. She carries the energy to a high that is unbelievable. Worht a listen.

# Posted on February 5th 2003 by fiddlerpaul

I also know this tune as farewell to Ireland, which I heard Barney Mckenna of the Dubliners play. He plays it through solely in a minor and personally i think it sounds much better this way.
the dubliners have recorded this tune as a banjo solo piece, well worth a listen!

# Posted on December 3rd 2003 by Hugo Chavez

We play this tune every week at out session, with
PV O'Donnell, and occasionally Tommy Peoples, when he visits Connecticut, both PV and Tommy. It's a wonderful tune and enjoy playing it

# Posted on September 21st 2004 by bonzplayer

This is one of my favorites (hence the name haha)...I've a;ways started it double stopping the A on G and E on D...definitely a great high energy tune, everyone seems to like it that I play it for...

When I learned it (under the name Farewell to Erin, not Ireland, I have no clue which is the "correct" one), I was told it was a Scottish tune...I'm not sure if that's right or not... anybody know?

# Posted on July 31st 2006 by possumawesome

Someone told me that the first low A represented the horn being sounded on the departing ship.

# Posted on September 3rd 2006 by nicholas

Scottish origin

This tune comes from an old Scottish strathspey called "The Highland Watches Farewell to Ireland".

# Posted on January 9th 2007 by Beheader

Farewell To Erin

Going by memory, I also think that there is a song associated with the tune, corresponding with the 3rd and 2nd parts as written here. "Highland Harry":

http://www.worldburnsclub.com/poems/translations/highland_harry.htm

The tune is given as "Highlander's Lament", which I believe is basically the same tune as "Highland Watch's Farewell to Ireland" (Neil Stewart's Collection of 1762).

# Posted on January 9th 2007 by nigelg

Also related to The Ballydesmond Polka?

# Posted on January 9th 2007 by slainte

Farewell To Erin

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/238

Yes, I see what you mean, there's possibly something in that, slainte.

# Posted on January 9th 2007 by nigelg

Especially in the second part. Maybe they both derived from the same Scots tune?

"Highland Watch's Farewell to Ireland" is already here: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2695

# Posted on January 9th 2007 by slainte

Reference correction...

Hey all,

Just a quick hello. Dave Cory and I never recorded this version of Farewell to Ireland in A mix. We recorded another tune with the same title played in D.

...just for the record...

Best,
Eliot

# Posted on May 10th 2007 by illenpypr

NAME............

well....Martyn Bennett (God bless) included it in his tune "Erin" and in the sleeve notes and his website it states...."the first tune is Farewell to Erin......so...it's one of those tunes that has many names....and one of those names that has many tunes.......
afterall..... Erin and Ireland do mean the same thing

ROB

# Posted on June 11th 2007 by rob_heron

Adore this. what do whistle players do for the first section? is there a choreographed dance, do we twiddle our thumbs, or sing?

# Posted on March 11th 2008 by mehitabel23

Play the low notes up an octave, or something within the whistles range that fits as a 5th, 4th or 3rd...but if you want to entertain us with a little dance number, well, I'm not going to say no... :-D

# Posted on March 12th 2008 by ceolachan

# Posted on March 12th 2008 by ceolachan

After all these years of it being here, I just come across it now. I was taught it many years ago, in Clare, and the way I was taught it was in Amix throughout. Of course, I think that's the best way with it.

:-)

# Posted on March 12th 2008 by ethical blend

Yeah, I quite like it in Mixolydian too... Now put that whistle away before you wear out the fipple... ;-)

# Posted on March 12th 2008 by ceolachan

One of the reasons I do prefer it in Amix is that, if you can persuade a guitarist to play Amaj chords instead of boring old Amin, it has *so* much more of an achey, yearning feel to it.

Having said which, obviously I still play it in Amix even if I'm playing it solo.

# Posted on March 12th 2008 by ethical blend

Oh, I do love a good fipple. :-P

# Posted on March 12th 2008 by ethical blend

Although I reaaly like the great Barney McKenna's version, especially since I play the banjo, I have to admit that the Bothy Band's version is THEE version. Masterpeice, one of the only traditional tunes I've ever felt the urge to headbang to!

# Posted on March 29th 2008 by Conchúir Ó hÓgáin

Bouzouki Chords?

Anyone know the chords for this one? Pleeeeeease!!! If you've heard the Bothy Bands version you'll know exactly why i want them!! ;)

# Posted on April 8th 2008 by Conchúir Ó hÓgáin

Hmm...I have a standard D feadog tin whistle...it would be really cool to see the music for this song in E dorian.

# Posted on August 12th 2008 by feadog06

# Posted on August 12th 2008 by ceolachan

Just play the low notes you can't reach with your D whistle up an octave...

# Posted on August 12th 2008 by ceolachan

# Posted on November 25th 2009 by Joe CSS

& the notes from the duplication by focus

# Posted on November 25th 2009 by focus
http://www.thesession.org/members/display/6766

One of the great reels ~ I don't know why it isn't played more often. It's a wonderful fiddle reel, and, mutatis mutandi, sounds great on the flute. There's a wonderful old setting on Paddy in the Smoke.

Eileen Ivers & Seamus Egan have a wonderful version of it also. Their version of the reel on Dear Old Erin's Isle: Irish Traditional Music from America, is simply electric and is very exciting. In general I'm not a fan of hopped up music, or reels on steroid. But in this case it certainly works.

I've been told that it's originally a Scottish tune: "The Scotsman's Farewell to Ireland".

# Posted on November 25th 2009 by focus

# Posted on November 26th 2009 by ceolachan

Chords Please

Anybody know the chords for farewell to erin by the bothy band on the bouzouki?

# Posted on July 12th 2010 by D.Bucks

Re: Chords Please

I don't have a recording to hand, but I'd wager that it's mostly Am and G (with A major in the 4th part).

# Posted on July 12th 2010 by CreadurMawnOrganig

Re: Chords Please

I don't mean to be unhelpful, but you'd learn a lot more by having a good, hard listen and working the chords out for yourself.

# Posted on July 12th 2010 by CreadurMawnOrganig

Re: Chords Please

@D.Bucks - before going any further with this question, it might checking "Farewell to Erin" in the tune section of this site:

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/33

... and reading this comment:

Farewell to "Erin"
This is actually called "Farewell to Ireland". Farewell to Erin is a different tune completely (O'Neill's 701). The Bothy Band confusingly called it Farewell to Erin. Whatever, it's a great tune! Tommy Peoples does a great version of it on The High Part of The Road when he prefixes the reel with the first part played as an air. It gets everyone going in sessions especially when you go back to the low A for the start of the first part and give it a bit of stick!
# Posted on July 19th 2002 by Geoff Pollitt

# Posted on July 12th 2010 by Mix O'Lydian

Re: Chords Please

I agree with CreadurMawnOrganig's comments and think it is the most sensible suggestion in this discussion (said the man who is a backup musician and has accompanied this tune).

# Posted on July 12th 2010 by fauxcelt

Tin Whistle Part

# Posted on July 13th 2010 by Markmoloney

Grainne Murphy's version of Farewell to Erin

It seems she made up her own cross-tuning to suit her haunting version in A(?). I think she's tuned to ABAE!

# Posted on August 27th 2010 by Suzuki C

Grainne Murphy's Farewell to Erin set with cross-tuned strings

Correction: Her fiddle is cross-tuned to EBF#C#. I think she's playing in the key of B Mixo!

# Posted on August 27th 2010 by Suzuki C

# Posted on January 11th 2012 by Weejie

# Posted on January 11th 2012 by Weejie

It is good to not be alone in needing to make 'corrections'... It's a shame we can't get rid of the evidence though and just leave the correction in its place...

# Posted on January 13th 2012 by ceolachan