Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

McKeown's

polka

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on November 22nd 2003 by Aidan Crossey.

This tune has been added to 13 tunebooks.

Also known as McKeon's.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Foinn Seisiun 3 by Ennis/Dublin Session Group

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: McKeown's
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
|:AF BF|AF BF|AB cd|dc E>F|
GE BE|GE BE|GA Bc|BA F>G|
AF BF|AF BF|AB cd|eB B2|
e>d cB|AF A2|AA Bc|d2 d2:||
|:ba fd|cB B2|B>A Bc|BA A2|
A>B Ac|d>e fg|a>^g ab|a4|
d>c dc|ed cB|B>A FA|Bc E2|
E>F GA|B>c dB|A/B/A G/F/E|D4:||
|:f2 ef/e/|dd d2|dc/d/ ed|dc c2|
g2 fg/f/|ee e2|ed/e/ fe|dc BA|
fg/f/ ef/e/|dd d2|dc/d/ ed|dc c2|
B>A Bd|e>c ef|ed cB|A4:||
|:FA FE|DF AF|AG GF|G3 A|
B2 BA|BB cB|BA A^G|A2 Bc|
d2 dc/d/|ed AB|cB BA|B4|
cc c>B|AA Bc|ed dc| d4:||

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

McKeown's

Thanks to the boul' Danny for drawing this tune to my attention (and for nagging me to set it out in abc). This is transcribed from The Long Strand featuring Sean McNamara, Eamonn Coyne and Peggy Peakin. The version on the album - a grand listen, by the way - is a tad "ambiguous" in parts and there are probably some phrases here which I've made a haims of! Anyone familiar with the tune, please feel free to correct me if my ears have led me astray. If you're not familiar with the tune, then I suggest you get your instruments out of their cases and give it a crack. This is a king among polkas!

# Posted on November 22nd 2003 by Aidan Crossey

Hero!

Ye're a star, Aidan. Well done for that. And it is, as you say, the king of the polkas!

# Posted on November 22nd 2003 by Key Maniac Lad

Alternative Setting

Here's another interpretation of this great polka which I think is closer to the way Peggy (Margaret) Peakin used to play it at our sessions in Dublin, particularly the second part.

AF BF|AF BF|AB cd|dc G>G|
GE BE|GE BE|GA Bc|BA F>G|
AF BF|AF BF|AB cd|eB B2|
ed cB|BA A2|^GA Bc|d2 d2:||

ba fd|dc c2|B>B Bc|BA A2|
^GA Bc|dc df|ba ^gb|a2 d>d|
dc ed|cB B2|^GA Bc|BA F2|EF GA|Bc ed|(3cBA (3GFE|D4:||

f2 (3efe|dd dB/2c/2|dd ed|dc c2|
g2 (3fgf|ee e2|ee fd|dc BA|
f2 (3efe|dd dB/2c/2|dd ed|c2 B2|
B2 Bc/2d/2|e2 ef|ed cB|A4:||

FA FE|DF BF|AG GF|G3 A|
B2 B>B|BB cB|BA A^G|A2 Bc|
d2 dc/2d/2|ed AB|cB BA|B3 B|
cc c>B|AA Bc|ed dc| d4:||

# Posted on May 19th 2004 by Bannerman

Cheers Bannerman

Thanks a lot, I'll give this version a bash as compared against the one I posted and let you know how I think they match up against each other! (By the way ... in my home town, Lurgan (Armagh, not the Connemara Lurgan), there used to be a textile factory called Bannerman's. Nothing to do with Clare, mind you! The owners were, as far as I know, "ascendancy" types, if you know what I mean!

# Posted on July 1st 2004 by Aidan Crossey

McKeown's

Bannerman, the version you have seems closer to what I learned from Peggy and Sean in my days with the Liverpool Ceili Band. I have wondered all these years what the tune was called. Why I didn't just ring Sean Mac I don't know but I'm a bit out of touch with Liverpool. Now I'm back in the saddle it's one of those tunes that's been in the very back of my mind to introduce to the sessions I play in in Manchester. It's debuting tomorrow!

# Posted on August 23rd 2006 by stevekeene

"McKeown's" ~ it ain't, but he may have been the source

This is an old ballroom type polka, or barndance. Some of it was immediately familiar, though I have some differences on the melody. Other parts seem confused, so I take it memory was failing, or time had its effect. I have been looking for it but haven't found it yet. I will return with a transcript later, if I can clear the rough bits of this transcription out of my head first. If not, I will at least add what I can remember. I'll also keep an eye out and may stumble across this in one of the collections or sheets from the 1800's. For now, and it should have been obvious, here is Bannerman's transcript, in tact if slightly simplified, except for the removing of some of the bar lines so the tune sits more the way it most likely did before this curious 'polkafication' transcript in 2/4, where it could also fit, except as, first measure only ~
|: A/F/B/F/ A/F/B/F/ |

Here it is 'adjusted' to 4/4:

Note, this was also used, if memory serves me right, as a tune for the Can-Can or Burlesque... Can't you hear it? Grab your feather boas all, and let's dance ourselves legless... ;-)

# Posted on March 2nd 2007 by ceolachan

McKeown's Polka

Steve, just spotted your comments about this great tune today. I hope you were successful introducing it to your Manchester sessions as it's one of those marvellous trad tunes that can't be played too often. In fact it's become a kind of an anthem at the Fleadh Nua in Ennis each May (possibly due to the regular attendance of Seán and the Liverpool lads) and is guaranteed to get several airings throughout the weekend! If you or any of the Manchester musicians get to Ennis in May, hopefully we'll get a chance to play it together - however, in view of Ceolachan's "Can Can" comments above, the tune takes on a whole new dimension and we'll only be able to play it after the watershed time of 10.00pm or so!

# Posted on March 4th 2007 by Bannerman

Set your watches and don't forget your feather boas... 8-)

# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by ceolachan