Key signature: Dmajor
Submitted on November 14th 2002 by alastair wilson.
This tune has been added to 62 tunebooks.
Also known as Con Williams', Cronin's Favourite, Cronin’s Favorite, Darby The Driver, Deáirbe An Tiománaí.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Joe Burke's
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
|:A/G/ | EAA ABd | ege dBA | GEG G2 B | dBA GED |
EAA ABd | ege def | g2 d edB | BAG A2 :||
|:d | eag e2 d | eaa age | gag d2 d | egg ged |
eag e2 d | e aa age | g2 d edB | BGG A2 :||
Popular session jig in Australia
# Posted on November 14th 2002 by alastair wilson
Roan Inish
I reckon that you can hear a beautiful sung version of this tune in the first track of the soundtrack to "The Secret of Roan Inish".
I don't know who the singer is, but I really like that version too.
# Posted on April 21st 2005 by Brown Creeper
Darby the Driver (jig)
That's the more common title for this lovely jig. A different version of the tune was already posted around 4 years ago, but Alastair's transcription is obviously much better. It seems known as "Cronin's Favourite" in Cape Breton. You can listen to Catherine and John McEvoy playing a great version of the tune: http://www.rte.ie/radio1/thelatesession/rams/22august.ram (starts around 34:40)
# Posted on July 11th 2005 by slainte
Correct myself
Hah - I think (thanks Ivor) that the first tune on Roan Inish is actually Mist covered the Mountain. There are some similarities between the two and they are both favourites of mine.
# Posted on July 27th 2005 by Brown Creeper
"Darby the Driver" ~ the earlier submission & another take on it:
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/127
# Posted on November 26th 2005 by ceolachan
Darby the Driver
Here's the simplified transcription of Catherine and John McEvoy's version:
K: Ador
G|EAA ABd|ege dBA|GEF GAB|dBA GED|
EAA ABd|ege def|g2d ege|dBA A2:|
g|eag e2d|eaa bag|efg dBd|eba ged|
eag e2d|eaa bag|efg dBG|BAG A2:|
# Posted on January 9th 2006 by slainte
Similar to John Naughton's Jig
John Naughton's Jig (#2393 in the tune archives) is very similar to this tune.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2393
Also, this tune (Joe Burke's) doesn't appear to be in D major, as written here, but in A. To my semi-illiterate ear the most likely key would be A dorian, assuming that any C notes in the tune (if there were any) would be natural rather than sharp. Any experts care to clarify?
# Posted on September 27th 2006 by GraemeO
I don't think the two tunes are particularly similar. Many Ador tunes sound similar with similar openings, you know.
# Posted on September 27th 2006 by slainte
You're probably right Slainte. The similarities caught my ear more than the differences at first.
And from your comment I take it that the key is Ador.
# Posted on September 27th 2006 by GraemeO
The reason for the popularity of this jig in Australia is that it appeared in the tunebook "Begged Borrowed and Stolen" which apparently became something of an Aussie session-goers "bible" after it was first published in 1979. The tune was printed under the title "Joe Burke's". See details of the contents of the tunebook here http://www.celt.com.au/contents_pages/contbbs.html. The book contains a mixture of tunes from different areas including Ireland, Scotland and even some Northumbrian ones too.
# Posted on March 12th 2008 by Dr. Dow