Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Holly Bush

reel

Key signature: Dmixolydian

Submitted on April 3rd 2003 by fiddlecase.

This tune has been added to 169 tunebooks.

Also known as Finbarr Dwyer's, Finbarr Dwyer's Reel No 1, Holly Bush, Hollybush, The Hollybush, Matt The Thrasher.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

An Traidisiun Beo by Angelina Carberry
Becky Taylor by Becky Taylor
Beolach by Beolach
Best Of Finbarr Dwyer by Finbarr Dwyer
Cape To Clare by Various Artists
Collection Of Jigs And Reels by Shaskeen
Contentment Is Wealth by Matt Molloy And Sean Keane
Down The Broom by Trouble In The Kitchen
Each Little Thing by Sharon Shannon
Farewell And Remember Me by Boys Of The Lough
Foinn Seisiun 3 by Ennis/Dublin Session Group
From Ballymote To Brooklyn by Paddy Killoran and James Morrison
Gan Bua by Gan Bua
Good Boy M.A. by Michael Anthony MacLean
Just Intonational Music Of Two Pipers by Adrian Jefferies And Billy McCormick
Leitrim's Hidden Treasure by McNamara Family
Live In Ennis by The Bowhouse Quintet
Live In Seattle by Martin Hayes
Live-Disc 2 by Natalie MacMaster
Mind The Pipes by Leonard Barry
Musical Memories by Tom Dunne And Joe Banjo Burke
Nádurra by Capercaillie
No Boundaries by Natalie MacMaster
Out Of The Blue by Alan Kelly
Piper's Dream by Jack Brennan
Reeds And Rosin by Todd Denman And Dale Russ
Sessions From..... by An Teach Beag
Sparks On The Flags by The Bridge Céilí Band
Spin by Whirligig
Strange But True... by Takuji Tamura And Yukio Kashiwagi
The Bunch Of Keys by Jason O'Rourke
The Drones And The Chanters Vol.2 by Various Artists
The Flute Players Of Roscommon Vol 2 by Various Artists
The Last Order by Ceol
The Leitrim Equation by Various Artists
The Long Finger by Barry Carroll And Joe McHugh
The Road To Riley by Riley School Of Irish Music
The Sligo Champion (CD 2) by Michael Gorman
The Stool Of Repentance by Donnybrook
The Tempest by Robbie Hannan
They Sailed Away From Dublin Bay by Liam Farrell And Joe Whelan
Tuned In by Johnny Murphy
Tunes For Practice by Seamus Creagh

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Holly Bush

This I understand is the first reel composed by that wonderful composer from Cork, Finbarr Dwyer. Finbarr plays the button accordian and is surely one of the all time greats. His compositions rate alongside those of Paddy Fahy, Ed Reavy, Paddy O'Brien and Sean Ryan.
Fiddlecase.

# Posted on April 3rd 2003 by fiddlecase

The Holly Bush

Martin Hayes plays this tune down a fourth, in A mixolydian, starting on an E note on the D string, and it sounds quite dramatic.

# Posted on April 9th 2003 by adam b

The Holly Bush

Try playing it in E. Loads more lively!

# Posted on February 24th 2004 by Fiddlemad

There's a great version of this tune by Sean Potts on Drones & Chanters vol. 2.

# Posted on May 4th 2005 by wormdiet

The Holly Bush

Here's what I just gleaned from the recording by Dale Russ and Todd Denman.

# Posted on April 9th 2006 by Phantom Button

A fantastic reel which sits nicely alongside other greats like Devanney's Goat, Dick Sherlock's, Fred Finn's, Lady Anne, the Cameronian, etc (ie tunes with great melodies).

# Posted on April 9th 2006 by Bannerman

this is for me the coolest I've learned. I love this tune.

# Posted on September 29th 2007 by chris stolz

Finbarr Dwyer's Original

Me and my brother spent the last two or three days learning the version Finbarr himself plays on an LP he released in the late 60/early 70s. It contrasts considerabely with todays more widely played version and is a version I may make an effort to resurrect. Finbarr plays it three times through so I've included all 3 repitions. His ornamentation is not included because 1) I don't think we can adequately show ornamentation on sheet music and 2) I'm not a box player so I don't really know what he is doing for certain. Anyway, check the post underneath.

# Posted on March 18th 2008 by 52Paddy

The tune

X:1
T:The Original Holly Bush
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Dmix

*The high a at the end of the tune is what he would play as he starts the next tune, Mary McMahon

# Posted on March 18th 2008 by 52Paddy