Scattery Island

slide

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on April 14th 2002 by Will Harmon.

This tune has been added to 59 tunebooks.

Also known as Going For Water, The Scattery Island.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• A Living Thing by Various Artists
• Cooley's House by Conor Keane
• Dorney Rock by Kevin Macleod
• Fiddle And Concertina Player by John Kelly
• Happy To Meet by P.J. Crotty, Carol Cullinan, James Cullinan
• Home Away From Home by NicGaviskey
• Irish Trad Concertina From Beara by Sean O'Dwyer
• Land Of Sunshine by Dan Possumato
• Last Night's Fun by Knock-na-shee
• Old Time Irish Music In America by Terry Teahan And Gene Kelly
• Sugach Samh/Happy Out by Niamh Ni Charra
• Take The Air by Sean Ryan And PJ Moloney
• The Heather Breeze by Heathery Breeze Ceili Band
• The Humours Of Lisheen by John And Julia Clifford
• The Open Road by Steph Geremia
• The Rushy Mountain: Classic Music From Sliabh Luachra 1952-77 by Various Artists
• The Square Triangle by The Four Star Trio

X: 1
T: Scattery Island
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Dmaj
|:FGA dcd FGA d2 d|e2 A cBA efe cBA|
|FGA dcd FGA dcd|1 efe cBA ABc d2 A:|2 efe cBA ABc dfg||
|:~a3 f2 e ~d3 def|~g3 ~f3 ede efg|
|~a3 f2 e ~d3 dcd|1 e2 A cBA ABc dfg:|2 e2 A cBA ABc d2 A||

Scattery Island Slide

When this tune came up on a recent discussion thread, I waited, hoping someone else would post it. But it's been a week now, so....

I learned this setting from a bouzouki player in Morgantown, West Virginia, about 25 years ago. At the time I thought it was a straight jig and assumed the "Slide" part referred to some landslide. The zouk player was kind enough to point out how the phrasing fit into the 12/8 structure (linking 4 beats per phrase instead of the jig's 2 beats) and explain that's what made it a slide.

I like this one at a lively pace. It goes well into Mice in the Cupboard (Willie Coleman's). There's nothing particularly tricky about it--you can skip all the rolls for a simpler version and it still sounds good.

So does anyone know where Scattery Island is? I found a Scatari Island off the east coast of Cape Breton in Canada, and that seems plausible enough, but I'm guessing there's a Scattery Island closer to Ireland?

# Posted on April 14th 2002 by Will Harmon

Scattery Island lies in the Shannon estuary, between the counties of Clare and Kerry.

# Posted on April 15th 2002 by CreadurMawnOrganig

Thanks David (this isn't the first time you've taught me Irish geography). I figured it would be near Kerry, the tune being a slide and all. My map of Ireland names most of the coastal islands, but not ones in rivers, even though it shows them. Thanks for clearing this one up for me.

# Posted on April 15th 2002 by Will Harmon

Scattery Island Slide

In a set it follows on well from the Brosna Slide.

# Posted on April 22nd 2007 by Trevor Jennings

Hmmmm, that leaves it wide open as to which of the several Brosna slides you mean?

# Posted on July 9th 2007 by ceolachan

Scattery Island Slide

On the LP The Rushy Mountain: Classic Music From Sliabh Luachra 1952-77 *, John & Julia Clifford and Maurice O'Keeffe play this tune after "Behind the Bush i the Garden" and call it "Going for Water".

* = http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/1274/comments

# Posted on August 21st 2007 by nigelg

Scattery Island & John Kelly

The tune came from John Kelly, fiddle/concertina, Co. Clare, who got it from his mother who was born on Scattery. The ruins of St. Senan's monastery are still on Scattery but all the people moved off the island in the mid 1900's. Now you can hire a rowboat near Kilrush and go to the island for a picnic. Kelly recorded the tune in 1975 with Ceoltoiri Laighean, Gael Linn CEF.047. His version is simpler than the one posted here and it makes the tune 'brighter'. The Irish title is: Sleamhnan Inis Cathaigh.

# Posted on December 30th 2009 by Tedmcg

"The Scattery Island Slide" - other possibilities

X: 2
T: Scattery Island
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Dmaj
|: F2 A dcd FAA dcd | e2 A cBA ef/e/d cBA |
FGA d2 d FGA dcd | e2 A cBA B2 c d3 :|
|: aba faf d3 def | g2 e f2 d ede efg |
a3 f2 e d2 A dcd | e2 A cBA B2 c d3 :|

# Posted on January 27th 2012 by ceolachan

"Going to the Well" ~ a YouTube and transcription courtesy of Weejie

Niamh Ní Charra -
Limerick Redowa / Going for Water / Oakum's / Strawberry Tree
Dublin 15.09.2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40oISRC1KVU

All in the family, even if t'other way round -

X: 1
T: Going For Water
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Dmaj
|: aba f2 d aba f2 d | e2 A cBA e2 d cBA |
aba f2 d aba f2 d | e2 A cBA f2 e d3 :|
|: F2 A d2 f F2 A d2 f | e2 A cBA e2 d cBA |
F2 A d2 f F2 A d2 f | e2 A cBA f2 e d3 :|

# Posted on January 27th 2012 by Weejie

Going from the Redowa into slides is just plain silly, and then another change - duh!? ~ however nice the playing is, and doing my damnedest to try and ignore the accompaniment...

# Posted on January 27th 2012 by ceolachan

[2 going up - another way with it

[2 a3 f3 d3 dcd | e2 A cBA f2 e d3 |]

# Posted on January 27th 2012 by ceolachan