Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Eamonn Coyne's

reel

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on September 6th 2003 by Kurt Franke.

This tune has been added to 20 tunebooks.

Also known as Geordie Affleck, John Doherty's, Mint In The Corn, The Mint In The Corn.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

...Born For Sport by Paul O'Shaughnessy And Harry Bradley
3 Way Street by Moloney, O'Donnell, Egan
A Week In January by Seamus Egan
Best Of 1987-1993 by Altan
Between Words by Cé
Blackwater by Altan
Far From The Hills Of Donegal by Oisin McAuley
Fiddler's Fancy by Tommy Peoples
Foinn Seisiun 1 by Ceoltóirí Cultúrlainne
Fonnchaoi by Verena Commins And Julie Langan
Glackin by Paddy Glackin
Happy To Meet Sorry To Part by Various Artists
In Full Spate by Paddy Glackin
In Safe Hands by Kieran Munnelly And Aidan O'Donnell
Journey Work by Popcorn Behavior
Kelly/O'Brien/Sproule by Kelly, O'Brien and Sproule
Master Irish Fiddle Player by Tommy Peoples
Merry Bits Of Timber by Emer Mayock
Redwood by Lunasa
Rip The Calico by Paul Dooley
Roguery Road by Jason O'Rouke And Ruadhrai O'Kane
Snug In The Blanket by Paddy O'Brien
The First Ten Years: 1986 - 1995 by Altan
The Floating Bow (Traditional Fiddle Music From Donegal) by John Doherty
The Rowsome Tradition: Five Generations Of Uileann Piping by Kevin Rowsome
The Twentieth Anniversary Collection by Various Artists
Traditional Music Of Ireland by James Kelly, Paddy O'Brien, Daithi Sproule
Traditional Music Of Ireland by Paddy O'Brien
Tripswitch by John McSherry And Dónal O'Connor
Up In The Air by Danu
Within A Mile Of Dublin by Paul O'Shaughnessy And Paul McGrattan

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

I'm a bit puzzled about the 3/4 in bar 14 as if this is how it's played, it's not going to be very popular with the dancers! Otherwise a very nice tune - would the Eamonn Coyne have been that late great fiddler who played with the Liverpool Ceili Band in the 1960s and 70s?

# Posted on September 6th 2003 by Bannerman

Late Great ?

I met and played with the man about 8 years ago whilst over in Liverpool, he was playing around the Irish theme pub scene that was popular at that time I think in england. He has a flute playing brother, last I heard he was still alive.
Good Luck
Mikea

# Posted on September 7th 2003 by Mikea

Eamonn Coyne

Isn't he a Dublin born banjo player? http://thesession.org/recordings/display.php/390

# Posted on September 8th 2003 by slainte

This was originally a Scottish tune called 'Geordie Affleck', in the horrible key of E flat major. Played in Donegal by many old players in various keys; also in Breathnach's Vol II as no 191 (gan ainm) recorded from Tommy Peoples

# Posted on June 24th 2007 by niall_kenny

Rescued duplication

(Posted on April 9th 2008 by granama)

X: 1
T: The Mint In The Corn
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
BcdB G3B | ADFA dcBA | B2dB GFGB | ADFA G3A :|
|: BGBd gfed | cBce agfe | fgaf d^cdf | eA^ce d2ef |
gfed ^cdef | afge fgdc | BcdB GFGB |1 A2FA G3 A:|2 A2FA G2dc||

The version I have posted is more or less as it is played by Michael Clarkson on 'The Far Set' http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/1057 .
For want of a better title, he calls it 'Reel in G'. The version I have heard in sessions has a pecular syncopated phrase in the B-part, with tied note across bars 9 and 10 and goes something like this:

T: The Mint In The Corn
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
BcdB G3B | ADFA dcBA | B2dB GFGB | ADFA G3A :|
|: BGBd gfed | cBce agfe | fgaf d^cdf | eA^ce d2ef |
gfed (3efg a2-|-afge dcBA | BcdB G3B |1 A2FA G3 A:|2 A2FA G2dc||

As far as I remember, it is always played with an 8-bar (4 bars repeated) A-part and a 16-bar (8 bars repeated) B-part.

I think I have heard the title 'Mairtín O'Connor's' used. However, I find both this title and that used by Michael Clarkson unsatifactory, so I'mm putting these both as alternate titles and leaving the main title as Gan Ainm until someone comes up with a better one.

# Posted on April 9th 2008 by Dow

Bannerman: "I'm a bit puzzled about the 3/4 in bar 14"

I too find this a little suspect. The second version I have posted above (kindly transferred by Dow from my duplicate submission of the tune) has the syncopated bit in it, but without straying from 4/4 time.

Thanks to Dow also for the 'real' title.

# Posted on April 9th 2008 by granama

...and to Niall for the even older title.

# Posted on April 9th 2008 by granama

I found some other random transcriptions on the net:

This from the Fiddler's Companion:

ÉAMONN COYNE’S. AKA and see “Geordie Affleck.” Irish, Reel. Caoimhin Mac Aoidh identifies this tune as one that Francie Dearg & Mickey Ban O Beirn played in the key of D Major and John Doherty and Danny O'Donnell played in A Major, called “The Mint in the Corn.” Tommy Peoples also plays the tune in D Major, learned from older Donegal musicians. It is a version, Mac Aoidh explains, of the Scottish reel “Geordie Affleck.” Breathnach (CRÉ II), No. 191 (appears as “gan ainm/untitled”).

X: 1
T: Éamonn Coyne's
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
Z: Barney
K: Gmaj
BcdB GABG|AD (3DDD cAFA|BcdB GABG|ADEF G3A|
BcdB GABG|AD (3DDD AD (3DDD|BcdB GABG|ADEF G3A||
|:BGBd gfed|cAce agfe|fgaf defd|ed^ce d2ef|
gfed efa2-|agfe dcBA|BcdB GABG|ADFA G4:||

# Posted on April 9th 2008 by Dow

This tune also appears on Michelle O'Brien, Aogan Lynch and Gavin Ralston's recording. It's the ni fios tune at the end of track 1.

# Posted on April 9th 2008 by Dow

The Mint In The Corn

Corn mint news you can use.
http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Mentha+arvensis
http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue1/tomlinson/scripts/abcd.cfm?taxa=Mentha+arvensis&date=PR&action=rec&long=on

# Posted on April 9th 2008 by joesmith

It's nice to see another transcription without the a2-|a in it. I always thought this sounded like an old tune, and the syncopated bit sounded like a recent affectation. Nothing against it per se, except that, while it's really nothing more than a cheeky twist, it's come to be regarded as *how the tune goes*. Such its the nature of a living tradition, I suppose.

# Posted on April 10th 2008 by granama

I agree.

# Posted on April 28th 2008 by Dow