The Boys Of Ballisodare

slip jig

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on January 16th 2003 by Will CPT.

This tune has been added to 148 tunebooks.

Also known as The Boys Of Balisadare, The Boys Of Ballysadare, The Boys Of Ballysidare, The Boys Of Ballysodare, Liam Farrell's (Boys Of Ballisodare), My Father Loves Nikita Khrushchev.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• A Kindly Welcome by Na Fili
• A Musical Trip To Coleman Country by Various Artists
• An Fhidil, Sraith 2 by Sean Keane, Kevin Burke, Paddy Glackin And Seamus Creagh
• An Historic Recording Of Irish Traditional Music by Paddy Canny, P.J. Hayes, Peader O'Loughlin, Bridie Lafferty
• An Tris Is A Rian by Claire Keville, John Weir And Eithne Ni Dhonaile
• As We Got Them: Traditional Flute And Fiddle Music From County Sligo by Various Artists
• Bridgetown by Johnny B. Connolly
• Cathal Hayden by Cathal Hayden
• Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 3 by Matt Cunningham
• Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 3 CD Version by Matt Cunningham
• Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 5 by Matt Cunningham
• Hell For Leather by Swallow's Tail Céilí Band
• Hives Of Honeyed Sound by Padraic Mac Mathuna
• Irish Traditional Fiddle Music by John Kelly And James Kelly With Michael Crehan And Michael Gavin
• Irish Traditional Music Of County Clare by Bernard O'Sullivan And Tommy McMahon
• Live In Belfast by Cathal Hayden
• Lord Mayo by Le Cheile
• Maiden Voyage by Various Artists
• Molly's Revenge Four by Molly's Revenge
• My Love Is In America by Various Artists
• One More Time by McComiskey, Mulvihill And McLeod
• Playground by Emer Mayock
• Rhythms Of The Wold by Rod Stradling
• Round The House: Music For The Sets Volume 1 by Various Artists
• Sarah McFadyen And Kris Drever by Sarah McFadyen And Kris Drever
• Seoltai Seidte (Setting Sail) by Various Artists
• Set Dances Of Ireland, Volume I by Various Artists
• Sligo Fiddle (Disk 2) by John Vesey
• Songs, Jigs, Reels by Glenside And Kilfenora Ceili Bands
• Take A Bow by Matt Cranitch
• The 3rd Irish Folk Festival In Concert by Various Artists
• The Best Ever Traditional Irish Pub Session Volume Two by Various Artists
• The Chieftains 1 by The Chieftains
• The Clare Shout by Bobby Gardiner
• The Dear Little Isle by Inishbofin Ceili Band
• The Fertile Rock by Chris Droney
• The Lakes Of Sligo by Carmel Gunning
• The McDonaghs Of Ballinafad And Friends by Larry And Michael Joe McDonagh
• The Mountain Road by Various Artists
• The Music Makers: Celebrating 35 Years Of Comhaltas In Leeds by Leeds CCE
• The Natural Bridge by Ben Lennon And Friends
• Thunderhead by Malcolm Dalglish And Grey Larsen
• Traditional Irish Fiddle Music by The Kilfenora Fiddle Ceili Band
• Traditional Irish Music In America: The East Coast by Various Artists
• Traditional Music From East Clare by Mary MacNamara
• Whistle Wizardry by Vinnie Kilduff
• Yeh, That's All It Is by John Carty

X: 1
T: Boys Of Ballisodare, The
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: slip jig
K: Gmaj
D2 G G2 A B2 d | ege d2 e g3 | D2 G G2 B d2 B | AGA B2 G E2 G |
D2 G G2 A B2 d | ege d2 e g2 a | b2 a g2 e d2 B | AGA B2 G E2 G:||
B2 d d2 B d2 B | dBd e2 f g3 | B2 d d2 B d2 B | AGA B2 G E2 G |
B2 d d2 B d2 B | dBd e2 f g2 a | b2 a g2 e d2 B | AGA B2 G E2 G:||

Boys of Ballisodare

This is a widely played slip jig, but I really like this setting, lifted from Martin Mullvihill (fiddle), Bill McComiskey (box), and Zan McLeod (guitar) on their cd One More Time, which Zina says was put out by the Culkin School of Traditional Dance in Washington DC. It's just a few notes different from my old version, but to my ear those notes make a big difference.

This tune works great on fiddle, whistle, and flute, at slow tempos or bumped up a few notches on the metronome. I tend to keep it slow, and essentially unornamented. The important thing is to treat the last eighth note in each bar as a pick-up note to the following down beat, rather than the final note of that bar. That'll give you the right amount of lift, and the dancers will appreciate you for that. As danceable as this slip jig is, I really enjoy its lyrical quality--leaves me in the mood for a picnic or a walk in the hills.

Ballisodare is just south of the town of Sligo, near the mouth of the Moy. There's also a hornpipe by the same name. And I've seen Ballisodare spelled many different ways, including Ballysodare, Ballisadare, and Ballysidare. I'm sticking with what's on my map of Ireland from Bord Failte, the Irish Tourist Board.

# Posted on January 16th 2003 by Will CPT

Boys of ballisodare

Don't know about a hornpipe, Will, but there's certainly a very well-known 3-part reel with the same name. John Carty has this tune on his "Yeah, That's All There Is" CD, where he plays your slip-jig, followed by a reel version of the same slip-jig. Works very well ,too. I have a photo of myself and Sean White , a flute player from Limerick leaning over of the road sign as you enter Ballisodare. (spelt as such). We took it after the 1978 Ballisodare Folk Festival, and had decided that we were "The Boys Of Ballisodare". Those were the days!

# Posted on January 16th 2003 by Kenny

Boys of Ballysodare

in portland, we often follow 'boys of ballysodare' with 'the butterfly.'

sarah

# Posted on January 17th 2003 by eleyne

This is one of those slip jigs that wants to be played fairly fast (I don't do b.p.m.). I often find it difficult playing cetain slip jig together as some seem to me to demand a faster tempo than others. When going from a slip jig (such as this one) which is dominated by crotchet-quaver groupings, into a slip jig that is dominated by 3-quaver groupings, the impulse is always to slow down (rather like playing a single jig and a double jig together). As Sarah (eleyne) says above, The Butterfly is a good pairing for this tune. The Rocky Road to Dublin, The Dusty Miller and The Snowy Path are a few that might work.

# Posted on January 17th 2003 by granama

Maybe there's a case for calling them "slip slides"!....

# Posted on January 19th 2003 by Dow

David, on One More Time, the lads play it very slowly, and it's really gorgeous. Try it, you'll like it.

# Posted on February 10th 2004 by Zina Lee

Slow is good

I've heard Kevin Burke play a nice slow/medium version of this somewhere many years back - I think with the Butterfly after. It's got potential to be really dreamy and lyrical. That's the version I always have in mind when I play it. Can anybody remember if he recorded it?

# Posted on April 15th 2004 by kris

This is a hop jig.

# Posted on May 25th 2006 by Dow

Have you been eating locusts? (grasshoppers)

# Posted on May 25th 2006 by ceolachan

Martin Mulvihill

It wasn't he, but his son Brendan.

# Posted on April 13th 2007 by Kheelch

Boys of Ballysodare - Accompaniment

My internet searches for the chords to accompany this tune have been unsuccessful. Can anyone recommend a site?

# Posted on July 29th 2007 by roylo

Boys of Ballysodare (slip jig)

My internet searches have failed to turn up chords for accompaniment for this tune. Can anyone recommend a site?

# Posted on August 13th 2007 by roylo