The Road To Ballymac

reel

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on December 11th 2003 by Kenny.

This tune has been added to 56 tunebooks.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Are You The Concertina Player? by Kate McNamara
Ceol Tigh Neachtain - Music From Galway by Various Artists
Footprints by No I.D.
For As Many As Will by Haste To The Wedding
Goldfiddle by Matt McGranaghan
If Ida Been Here, Ida Been There by Craobh Rua
In Praise Of Lissycasey by Various Artists
Let Down The Blade by John Regan And Paddy Glackin
Northern Tradition by Mary Mulholland
The Master's Choice by Bobby Gardiner
The Missing Reel by Seamus McGuire And John Lee
The Tidy Cottage by Turlach Boylan
The Tocane Concerts by Various Artists
Traditional Fiddle Music From The Glens Of Antrim by Dominic McNabb
Traditional Irish Music (traditional Music Session From Belfast) by Various Artists
When The World Was Wide by Trouble In The Kitchen

X: 1
T: Road To Ballymac, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|:DG G2 BAGA | Bd d2 e2 de | gd d2 egde | gedB ABGE |
DG G2 BAGA | Bd d2 e2 de | gd d2 egdB |1 cAFA G2 GE :|2 cAFA G2 GA ||
|:Bd d2 edBd | egfg a2 ga | bg g2 egde | gedB AGEG |
Bd d2 edBd | eg g2 a2 ga | bgfg egdB |1 cAFA G2 GE :|2 cAFA G4 ||

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Road To Ballymac

Comments later.

# Posted on December 11th 2003 by Kenny

Great tune Kenny - thanks. This was in Treoir 20 or so years ago when I first learnt it but, not being a very common session tune, I stopped playing it and forgot it until this posting. It's definitely one to be resurrected - anyone got ideas on a couple of reels to go with it?

# Posted on December 11th 2003 by Bannerman

Road to Ballymac / Fox on the Town / Pachelbels Frolics
The Ash Plant / The Road to Ballymac / The Congress Reel
The Road to Ballymac / Mulhaire's Reel
The Road to Ballymac / Corriga Grove / The Cloone Reel
Mollie McCarthy / The Road to Ballymac / The Linen Cap

# Posted on December 11th 2003 by gian marco

Composed by the accordeon player Vincent Leslie.

# Posted on December 11th 2003 by gian marco

Thanks Gian - think I'll go for the second option as I was already wondering what to put with the Congress

# Posted on December 11th 2003 by Bannerman

Road To Ballymac

This comes from the LP of mainly Co. Leitrim music by Jack Lee(flute), and Manus Maguire(fiddle). Also recorded by Turlough Boylan. It seems to have been overlooked somewhat. Should be played more, I think. Thanks for the information on the composer, and suggested sets, Gian Marco. I wonder if this is something contributers should try to do more - suggest other tunes which may follow/precede the tune posted. Anyone could make suggestions.

# Posted on December 11th 2003 by Kenny

Ballymac - P.S.

I should have also said that the title of the Lee/Maguire recording is "The Missing Reel".

# Posted on December 11th 2003 by Kenny

Ballymac

Recorded by Sharon Shannon on "Bringing it all back home", in A. As far as I remember the whole set has been "geared up a notch" (Unknown in D (usually in C)/Ballymac in A/Congress in Bm).
Brilliant tune though.

# Posted on December 11th 2003 by snorre

Ballymacarbry?

hei, isit Ballymacarbry or something like that? I think is't a village 20 miles south of Clonmelco. Tipperary. I've been there last august, as it was the only place round Clonmel with room to spend the night in during the last Fleadh!

# Posted on December 14th 2003 by Giovanni

Ballymacarberry

You are right Giovanni Ballymacarberry is near Clonmel and this tune refers to the same. I live about ten miles west of here.
Good Luck
Mike Allen.

# Posted on December 16th 2003 by Mikea

Ballymac B part

Hey Kenny, I just compared this tune to the source you got it from, and there are some discrepancies in the B part that I noticed:

Bd d2 edBd | egg2 a2 ga | bgag egde | gedB ABG2 |
Bd d2 edBd | eg g2 a2 ga | bgag egdB |1 cAFA G2 GE :|2 cAFA G4 ||

# Posted on April 22nd 2004 by Phantom Button

The Road to Ballymac-Real Composer

Hello Everyone,
I'm glad everyone likes this reel so much as it is without doubt one of the most lively tunes to play in a session or concert or for dancers. I would like to point out that the actual composer is a wonderful gentleman from Co.Antrim named Leslie Craig. I cannot confirm whether the tune is in fact named after the village in Tipperary but i can definitely confirm its composer. Leslie is a great accordion player and it is common knowledge in the Fiddle and Accordion clubs around Belfast and Antrim that he is the composer. I would just like to add that there are several composers out there that do not get the credit they deserve and through time and 'chinese whispers' information these people are stripped of the credit they actually deserve. I unfortunately did not know who composed this reel when I recorded it but a month after the album was released I was duly informed. I hope this information will be of some use to you all. Keep playing this reel as it truly is a fantastic piece.

# Posted on May 12th 2005 by mattmcgranaghan

Spot on Matt!

I was wondering when the composer would be identified correctly-I believe Leslie originally composed it in the key of F.

# Posted on July 26th 2005 by cos

Ballymac

Yes compsed by Leslie Craig who is now playing with Ceilidh Band 'Haste to the Wedding' a short sound sample on their web pages www.hastetothewedding.com

# Posted on October 21st 2005 by herge

Yes Cos, he did compose it in F. But what 'mattmcgranaghan' forgot to mention was that it's the 'Piano Accordion' he plays, so of course F is nae bother to him.

# Posted on October 21st 2005 by Ptarmigan

Well actually Button, the way I have this tune is as follows:

|:DG (3GGG BAGA | Bd (3ddd e2 de | gd (3ddd egde | gedB ABGE |
DG (3GGG BAGA | Bd (3ddd e2 de | gd (3ddd egdB |1 AGAB G2 GE :|2 AGAB G2 GA ||
Bd (3ddd edBd | eg (3ggg a2 ga | bgag egde | gedB ABGA |
Bd (3ddd edBd | eg (3ggg a2 ga | bgag egdB |1 AGAB G2 GA :|2 AGAB G4 ||

It's a great Banjo tune & yes, it is played a lot around here, Leslie's native Co. Antrim.

You can see a photo of Leslie in action, up at the Skerry Inn, a great session pub, high in the Antrim Hills, overlooking Ballymena hey!.
Leslie is 2nd from the right, in the Left hand photo:

http://www.causewaymusic.co.uk/absentfriends.html

# Posted on October 21st 2005 by Ptarmigan

Cool

i recognise the first medley given, and i think that those tunes sound great together.
i love the way the were played by the bradley brothers, oh and this is a very popular feis tune

# Posted on September 2nd 2006 by Champ_irish_dancer

Road To Ballymac

Yes this is a Leslie Craig tune, usually played with it's sister composition " The Silver Birch" ( An equally beautiful tune). And it's original key is F major. The tune refers to a trip that Leslie and some of the local lads had down to a festival in Ballymacarbery, Co.Waterford, and the debauchery that probably went along with it.

# Posted on December 6th 2006 by mully

The composer..

The composer who really wote this tune
is, Leslie Craig - cullybacky ,co antrim,,
I play with him nearly every week-
see,,http://www.hastetothewedding.com/
Thank-you
jim mcauley..

# Posted on June 3rd 2007 by FIDDLE4

"The Road to Ballymac" ~ a reel by Leslie Craig ~ a rescued duplication

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on July 4th 2007 by FIDDLE4.
~ /tunes/display/7447

This I beleave this is the closest to the way the composer plays his reel. If you wish to here leslie craig playing this tune and two other of his compositions go to:

http://www.hastetothewedding.com/ ~ and purchase our CD

Or listen to him playing it on a sound sample here:

http://www.hastetothewedding.com/id3.htm

under , The Ballymac set. ~ jim mcauley.

# Posted on July 4th 2007 by FIDDLE4

# Posted on July 5th 2007 by ceolachan

What do you mean 'reels that could go with it'?
Like some one else playing the reel and you playing the tune?

:S

# Posted on May 28th 2008 by BigBlueLucy