The Whistling Postman

jig

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on March 12th 2002 by Will Harmon.

This tune has been added to 45 tunebooks.

Also known as Charlie Mulvihill's, Whistling Postman.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• 40th Anniversary Album by Armagh Pipers Club
• 6 Of One, 5 Of The Other by An Tua
• A Rake Of Reels by John Nolan
• All Ireland Champion Musicians Singers And Dancers On Tour Of Australia by Na Ridiri
• Around St. James' Well by Carmel Gunning
• Bosca Ceoil And Fiddle by Cathal Clohessy And Eamonn Costello
• Both Sides Of The Coyne by Mick Coyne
• Capel Street by James Kelly
• Carousel by Seamus And Manus McGuire
• Down From Bell Harbour by Chris Droney
• Drops Of Spring Water by Comhaltas Concert Tour 2004
• Fourmilehouse by Alan And John Kelly
• Fourmilehouse by Alan And John Kelly
• Gander In The Pratie Hole by Carlos Plumley And Mike Herr
• Golden Lights And Green Shadows by Grainne Hambly
• Irish Traditional Flute Solos And Band Music From Kerry And Tipperary by Billy Clifford
• Last Night's Fun by John Carty
• Live In Belfast by Paul Bradley, Pádraig Rynne And Paul Meehan
• Live In Ennis by The Bowhouse Quintet
• Mick Mulcahy And Friends by Mick Mulcahy
• Millhouse Measures by The Raw Bar Collective
• Newtown Bridge by Eileen O'Brien
• No Compromise by Andrew MacNamara
• Notes From The Heart by Mick, Louise And Michelle Mulcahy
• Reelin'in Tradition by The Mulcahy Family
• Round The House: Music For The Sets Volume 1 by Various Artists
• Set The Sails by Bantry Bay
• Shame The Devil by Turlach Boylan
• Snug In The Blanket by Paddy O'Brien
• Take The Air by Sean Ryan
• The Celts Play Connecticut by Various Artists
• The Fiddle Case by Quentin Cooper, Eoin O'Neill, Eimear Howley
• The First Month Of Spring by John Vesey And Paul Brady
• The Irish Girl by Robin Bullock And Michel Sikiotakis
• The Kitchen Recordings by Sean O'Driscoll And Larry Egan
• The Long Hard Road by Tom McElvogue And Paddy Kerr
• The Maple Leaf by Jimmy Noonan, Chris McGrath
• The Smoky Chimney by Eoghan O'Sullivan, Gerry Harrington, Paul De Grae
• Three's Company by Martin Meehan
• Traditional Irish Music On Button Accordion by Patty Furlong
• Traditional Music Of Ireland On Button Accordion by Seamus Walshe
• Tripswitch by John McSherry And Dónal O'Connor
• Unleashed by The Border Collies

X: 1
T: Whistling Postman, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
e|:~f3 edB|ABd BAF|DFA dfa|baf ede|
|faf edB|ABd BAF|DFA Bed|cBc d2e:|
|:~f3 afd|gBd gfe|fef af/g/a|baf ede|
|faf edB|ABd BAF|DFA Bed|cBc d2e:|

The Whistling Postman

The jig cousin to the reel just posted. I've heard several different fiddlers do this one, every one slightly different. I like to drop into Tar Road to Sligo after this, not as fast as the Bothy Band did it in 1975, more lyrical.

# Posted on March 12th 2002 by Will Harmon

This is sometimes played in G, going right down to the open G-string.

# Posted on April 4th 2003 by CreadurMawnOrganig

Charlie Mulvihill's!!!

Finally I found this tune on the net. Good to know it's been already on this site.

I know this jig as "Charlie Mulvihill's" through a couple of recordings: "The Smoky Chimney" by Eoghan O'Sullivan, Gerry Harrington, and Paul De Grae; and "Fourmilehouse" by Alan & John Kelly. Although it's a really lovely tune which one of the local box players tries to popularise, I've been failing to learn it by ear. If it were a flute tune, it would be easier to pick up.

The sleeve notes of "The Smoky Chimney" inform us that this jig comes from the playing of New York-born box player Charlie Mullvihill and that it is listed as "The Kerry Jig" in the Volume 2 of Bulmer and Sharpley's tune collection "Music from Ireland."

(It seems he learned music his father, a concertina player from Co. Limerick. There is another jig listed as "Charlie Mullvihill's" on this site, and in the comment space of the tune Will and Brad suspect Charlie was related to Martin and Brendan Mulvihill. It seems quite plausible if we consider both of Charlie's parents were from Co. Limerick.)

# Posted on July 5th 2004 by slainte

Will have you noticed this is a bit like a jig form of Fox On the Prowl too?

# Posted on October 3rd 2005 by Dr. Dow

"The Whistling Postman" - duplication in G

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/588

# Posted on November 29th 2005 by ceolachan

"The Whistling Postman" ~ in the beginning there was the reel?:

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/586

# Posted on November 29th 2005 by ceolachan

Compare the Shaskeen jig: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/5197

# Posted on November 29th 2005 by slainte

Charlie Mulvihill composition

I'm just confirming that this tune is a Charlie Mulvihill composition. The tune got its name "The Kerry Jig" because it was a great favourite of Kerry fiddler Denis Murphy as well as other Kerry musicians. This information comes from the album Atlantic Wave which Charlie Mulvihill himself plays on.

# Posted on June 2nd 2007 by 52Paddy

I learned this from The Smoky Chimney.
X: 1
T: Charlie Mulvhill's
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
| f3 edB | AFA BAF | DFA dfa | baf ede |
f3 edB | AFA BAF | DFA BAB | cBc d2e:|
| fef afd | gfg b2g | fef afa |baf ede |
f3 edB |AFA BAF |DFA BAB |cBc d3 :|

# Posted on July 20th 2007 by dinn2

As taught to me by Martin Shane

I learnt this tune from Martin Shane of Greenisland, County Antrim as below:

X:1
T:Whistling Postman, The
T:Charlie Mulvihill's
T:Whistling Postman
M:6/8
L:1/8
R:jig
K:Dmaj
| ~f3 edB | ~A3 BAF | DFA dfa | baf ede |
~f3 edB | ~A3 BAF | DFA ~B3 | cBc d2e:|
| ~f3 afd | gBe gBe | ~f3 afa |baf ede |
~f3 edB |~A3 BAF |DFA ~B3 |cBc d3 :|

A recording of Martin playing this tune on flute can be heard/downloaded from www.tradirishmusic.org

# Posted on April 20th 2011 by bpundyke