Sean Ryan's
jig
Key signature: Adorian
Submitted on September 6th 2001 by Miss Lonelyhearts.
This tune has been added to 253 tunebooks.
Also known as Castle Jig, Lonesome, The Castle, Cooley's, The Nightingale.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
- ...And They Danced All Night by North Cregg
- 40th Anniversary 1946 - 1986 by The Tulla Ceili Band
- A Celebration Of 50 Years by The Tulla Ceili Band
- A Man Apart by Sean Maguire
- A Splendid Notion by Luke Plumb
- A Touch Of Clare by Kitty Hayes
- A Tribute To Joe Cooley by Frankie Gavin, Paul Brock, Charlie Lennon
- A Whistle On The Wind by Joanie Madden
- All Ireland Champion by Darren Breslin
- An Feochan by Philippe Barnes
- An Ghaoth Anair (The West Wind) by Na Fili
- An Historic Recording Of Irish Traditional Music by Paddy Canny, P.J. Hayes, Peader O'Loughlin, Bridie Lafferty
- Artistic License by Pendragon
- Bealoideas by Oisin
- Before Leaving by Caoilte O'Suilleabhain
- Best Of Irish Ceili Music by Various Artists
- Best Of Irish Fiddle by Florie Brown
- Between The Showers by Grainne Hambly
- Boxed by Anders Trabjerg
- Bruach An TSuláin by The Abbey Céilí Band
- Bruscar Bán by The Culchies
- Call Of The Wild by Wild Asparagus
- Cathal Hayden by Cathal Hayden
- Celebration CD 1 by The Dubliners
- Celtic Ceili by Various Artists
- Celtic Reels And Jigs - The Blackberry Blossom by Various Artists
- Ceol Tigh Neachtain - Music From Galway by Various Artists
- Claddagh Ring by The Tulla Ceili Band
- Clare Concertinas by Bernard O'Sullivan And Tommy McMahon
- Classic Ceili Bands by Various Artists
- Clear The Dresser And Take The Floor by Emerald Ceili Band
- Colin Grant by Colin Grant
- Continental Reel by Birkin Tree
- Crossroads by Máirtín O'Connor, Cathal Hayden, Seamie O'Dowd
- Crystal Clear by Jerry Holland
- D Is For Dulcimer by Glenn Morgan
- Dance Music Of Ireland: Jigs And Reels by Various Artists
- Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 2 by Matt Cunningham
- Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 3 by Matt Cunningham
- Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 4 by Matt Cunningham
- Dancing To Jigs And Reels by Various Artists
- Dratsville by Greanstalk
- Drink The Night Away by Blackbeers
- Drioball Na Fáinleoige by Johnny Connolly
- Echoes Of Erin by The Tulla Ceili Band
- Elftones by The Elftones
- Feadoga Stain 2 by Mary Bergin
- Fermanagh Ceili by Pride Of Erin Ceili Band
- Fianchetto by Queen's Gambit
- Fiddle Tunes by Dougie MacDonald
- Flea Ceoil by Various Artists
- From Both Sides by Niamh Ni Charra
- Grapevine by Elvie Miller And Naomi Morse
- Green Energy by The Irish Experience
- Greenfire by Greenfire
- Harpes D'Irlande by Katrien Delavier
- Hi (TM) How Are You Today? by Ashley MacIsaac
- High Clouds by Greenfield Dance Band
- Hills Of Erin by Karen Ashbrook
- I Will If I Can by John Carty
- In Session by Eoin O'Neill
- In The Footsteps Of Coleman by Various Artists
- In The Smoke by Various Artists
- Inishkeeragh by Brenda McCann
- Ireland's Harvest : A Tribute To The Golden Years Of Music In Irish America by Joe Derrane, Frankie Gavin And Brian McGrath
- Irish Dance Music by Chris Droney
- Irish Fiddle Player by Jimmy Power
- Island Eddy by Island Eddy
- John Bowe And Mary Conroy by John Bowe
- Kennedy's Kitchen by Kennedy's Kitchen
- Kids In A Candy Store by Rick May And Gil Yslas
- Kiss Me Kate by Liz Carroll And Tommy Maguire
- Kitty Hayes Remembered by Kitty Hayes
- Live At The Crane by Dusty Banjos
- Live In Concert by The Bothy Band
- Looking For A Rock by Juniper
- Maeve Donnelly by Maeve Donnelly
- Maiden Voyage by Various Artists
- Marie And Martin Reilly by Marie And Martin Reilly
- Martin Hayes by Martin Hayes
- Maybe Tonight by Four Men And A Dog
- McGreevy And Cooley by John McGreevy And Seamus Cooley
- Melodeon by John Gannon
- Memoire Celte by Broken String
- Memories Of Galway by Seamus Walshe
- Memories Of Ireland by Matt Cunningham
- Merrily Kissed The Quaker by The Blacksmiths
- Mick Mulcahy And Friends by Mick Mulcahy
- Mind The Gap by Spriggan
- Music At Matt Molloy's by Matt Molloy
- Music Of Dreams by Noel Hill And Tony MacMahon With Iarla O Lionaird
- Music Of Ireland by Sean McGuire And The Four Star Quartet
- Musical Journey by Cormac Breatnach And Martin Dunlea
- Musical Memories by Tom Dunne And Joe Banjo Burke
- My Roots Are Showing by Natalie MacMaster
- Natural Progression by Sam Proctor
- Noel Hill And Tony Linnane by Noel Hill And Tony Linnane
- Noonday Feast by Joe Shannon And Johnny McGreevy
- Notes From The Heart by Mick, Louise And Michelle Mulcahy
- One More... by Caa A Dram
- Paddy And Bridget And Their Great Friends 2 by Various Artists
- Pay The Piper: Music For The Sets Volume 3 by Various Artists
- Promenade by Kevin Burke And Mícheál O'Domhnaill
- Rakish Paddies by Rapalje
- Real Reels Of Ireland by Various Artists
- Regrouped by Boys Of The Lough
- Riding Towards Life by Evergreen
- Rud Eile by Rud Eile
- Russell's House by Russell's House
- Selection Box by Conor McCarthy And Alph Duggan
- Sessions From..... by An Teach Beag
- Sheila Maguire by Sheila Maguire
- Stanley And Grimm, Another Round by Stanley And Grimm
- Step This Way by David Lindquist
- Summer At My Feet by North Cregg
- Sunday Night by Robert Chalmers And Friends
- Swarbrick 1 by Dave Swarbrick
- Take The Bull By The Horns by Tom Doherty
- Tasty Touches CD 1 by Martin Donohoe
- Temple House 2 by Temple House Ceili Band
- The 'Reel' Thing by Wendy MacIsaac
- The Back Door by Cherish The Ladies
- The Barley Grain by Larry Kinsella
- The Blue CD by Irish Session Tunes
- The Coleman Archive Vol. 2: The Home Place by Various Artists
- The Coleman Country Ceili Band by The Coleman Country Ceili Band
- The Compositions Of Paddy O'Brien by Eileen O'Brien And Willie Fogarty
- The Curlew by Cliff Moses
- The Devils Of Dublin by Celtic Music Society (East Rochester HS)
- The Fire Aflame by Keane, Molloy, O'Flynn
- The Galway Rambler by John G. Walsh
- The Heart Of Cape Breton by Various Artists
- The Jolly Tinker by Kane O'Rourke
- The Joys Of Life by Shaskeen
- The Killaville Sessions by Ceoltoiri Coleman
- The Kitchen Recordings by Sean O'Driscoll And Larry Egan
- The Luck Penny by Seamus Bugler
- The Merry Love To Play by Peter Horan And Gerry Harrington
- The Mist Covered Mountain by De Danann
- The Nettles by The Nettles
- The New Land by Touchstone
- The Nightingale (And Other Lesser Spotted Tunes ...) by Josephine Keegan
- The Parish Platform by Rattle The Boards
- The Shores Of Lough Graney by P.J.Hayes And Martin Hayes
- The Steeplechase by Brendan Mulvihill And Donna Long
- The Tap Room Trio by Tap Room Trio
- The Three Piece Flute by Desi Wilkinson
- The Three Sisters by Barry Kerr
- The Trip Over The Mountain by Michael Queally And Cyril O'Donoghue
- The Uilleann Pipes Of Ireland by Jean-Yves Le Pape
- The Ulster Outcry by Ar Leitheidi
- The Windy Gap by Laurence Nugent
- They Sailed Away From Dublin Bay by Liam Farrell And Joe Whelan
- Three Months In Winter by Cuchulainn
- Throw Away The Keys by Brian Mac Aodha
- Traditional Dance Music Of Ireland by Various Artists
- Traditional Irish Music by William Sullivan
- Traditional Irish Music (traditional Music Session From Belfast) by Various Artists
- Traditional Irish Music From Galway And Clare by Bobby Casey, Gabriel McKeon, Raymond Roland, Liam Farrell & John Roe
- Traditional Music From The Glens Of Antrim by Leo Brown And PJ Hill
- Traditional Music Of Ireland by Kathleen Collins
- Traditional Music Of Ireland On Button Accordion by Seamus Walshe
- Traditional Music Of Ireland, Vol. 1 by Sean Ryan
- Traditional Music Of Ireland, Vol. 2 by Sean Ryan And Peter Carberry
- Tripping Down The Stairs by Spiral Seisiún
- Tunes For Practice by Seamus Creagh
- Tunes On Mandolin by Denis McAuliffe
- Turning by Knot Fibb'n
- Unearthed by Paul McGlinchey
- Volume 3: The Rhythm Chapter by Fiddlers 3
- When All Is Said And Done by Danu
- When Here Meets There by Troy MacGillivray And Shane Cook
- WhY2Keilidh by Howie MacDonald
- Wooden Flute Obsession: Volume 2, Disc 2 by Various Artists
X: 1
T: Sean Ryan's
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Ador
|:~c3 BAG|AGE DB,G,|~A,3 EDB,|DEG AGE|
cBA BAG|AGE DB,G,|A,2 E EDE|DB,G, A,2 B:|
|:cBA ~a3|bag edB|GBd ~g3|GBd cBA|
cBc dcd|ede gab|age dBG|EFG A2 B:|
Sean Ryan's
This is one of two jigs I know by this name, apparently the more popular of the two. It lends itself to variations--listen to Martin Hayes on his self titled cd (and in the session unfreindly key of D dorian), Kevin Burke on Promenade, or Laura Risk on Greenfire.
We do this in a set after Rambling Pitchfork and Hole in the Hedge.
Will
# Posted on September 6th 2001 by Miss Lonelyhearts
I love the jig and the way that it uses such a large range of notes!
# Posted on March 29th 2003 by Hayley
I've seen this as The Castle, by Sean Ryan.
# Posted on October 22nd 2003 by hdunn
A friend who used to play with Joe Cooley said Joe would play the 12th bar as an arpeggio starting on the very lowest note of his box, an octave below the lowest note on the fiddle. I've a tape of Joe with this tune, it's quite the thundering sound there.
# Posted on March 23rd 2005 by Kevin Rietmann
John Carr, who leads the session up in Ft. Collins that we attend regularly, plays the B repeating the first part the first time through the B and then using the second part of the part as a second ending:
|:cBA afa|bag edB|GBd gfg|GBd cBA|1
cBA afa|bag edB|GBd gdc|BAG A2B:|2
cBc dcd|ede gab|age dBG|EFG A2 B||
# Posted on August 15th 2005 by Zina Lee
This tune was composed by Sean Ryan and he called it 'The Castle'.
# Posted on February 2nd 2006 by Mikea
Yep, just like the 3rd post from the top sez....
# Posted on February 2nd 2006 by Miss Lonelyhearts
Will, did you know that this tune is actually called "The Castle"? It's a composition by Sean Ryan.
# Posted on February 2nd 2006 by Dow
Cape Breton fiddlers call this tune "Gallagher's Jig." Don't ask me why.
# Posted on February 2nd 2006 by slainte
Nice echo in here....


# Posted on February 2nd 2006 by Miss Lonelyhearts
By the way, there is another jig associated with Sean Ryan, which has yet to be posted. It's on the Tap Room Trio album, and I think I once heard it played by Providence on the radio.
# Posted on February 2nd 2006 by slainte
I like to call it, "Sean Ryan's Castle."
# Posted on February 2nd 2006 by Phantom Button
The other Sean Ryan Jig is called "The Nightingale".
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/1868
Go over there and we can repeat all these comments again.
Did I mention he also wrote the Castle
# Posted on February 2nd 2006 by Donough
Nope. There's another "Sean Ryan's Jig."
# Posted on February 2nd 2006 by slainte
This reminds me a lot of a tune I've heard called
"The Large Fortified Building or Group of Buildings with Thick Walls." Don't know who composed it though.
# Posted on February 2nd 2006 by joesmith
Martin Hayes' setting
This is the version Martin Hayes plays on "The Lonesome Touch". It is close to the original tune posted but he plays it in C Major so it goes "Paddy Fahy's Jig #1".
X: 1
T:Sean Ryan's Jig
R:Jig
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:C
fed edc|dcA GEC| DED AcA|GAc dcA|
fed edc|dcA GEC|DED AcA|1 GEC D3:|2 GEC D2 F||
FED ~d3|edc AGE|CEG cBc|CEG FED|
~F3 ~G3|AGA cde|dcA GEC|1 A,B,C D3:|
# Posted on September 13th 2007 by jlfinkels
Oops
Sorry, its not on "The Lonesome Touch". It's on his "Martin Hayes" CD.
# Posted on September 13th 2007 by jlfinkels
Have y'all tried this in E dor? It's great fun and makes the whistle player in your band happy (but drives your fiddlers crazy).
# Posted on February 15th 2008 by daddae
Paddy Canny's take
I just found this doing a search for "Paddy Canny". It's either played along with pipes or with heavy artifact from click removal. The turns in the B part are done more as sliding up to the note with slow attack. Paddy made those sound almost like a dixieland trumpet with a derby over the bell.
X: 1
T: Sean Ryan's
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Ador
|:cBA BAG|AGE DBG|~A3 EDB|DEG AGE|
c2A B/2c/2dB|AGE DBG|~A2 E EDE|DBG A2 B:|
|:cBA ~a3|bag edB|GBd ~g3|GBd cBA|
cBc dcd|ede gab|age dBG|EFG A2 B:|
# Posted on August 9th 2008 by justjim
"The Castle Jig" ~ by Seán Ryan
"The Hidden Ireland:
The First Selection of Irish Traditional Compositions of Seán Ryan"
Compiled by Brian Ryan
Page 8: "The Castle Jig"
# Posted on August 9th 2008 by ceolachan
"The Castle Jig" C: Seán Ryan
X: 5
T: The Castle Jig
C: Seán Ryan
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Ador
|: B |\
c2 A BAG | AGE DBG | A^GA E^DE | DEG AGE |
c2 A B/c/dB | AGE DBE | A^GA E^DE | DBG A2 :|
|: B |\
cBA a^ga | bag edB | GBd gfg | GB/c/d cBA |
c2 c d^cd | e^de gab | age dBG | E>FG A2 :|
# Posted on August 9th 2008 by ceolachan
thanks, Ceolachan, for that. It explains things I didn't even know needed explaining. The Paddy Canny track I found was a medley called Paddy Canny's Castles, altho I had previously only known it as "Sean Ryan's", entirely without the sixteenth-notes, which add so much. Those accidentals change the flavor, too. I'll need to play them a while for the feel of it.
Oh, I missed something in the fourth measure, played as
|DE/F/G AGE|
# Posted on August 10th 2008 by justjim
For the sake of Seán Ryan's "The Castle Jig"
Just so you know, X: 5, that transcription, isn't from the book. It's an alternate take from me offering another choice for those that can't dip below D... But I picked up that option of playing those accidentals, for example ~ | A^GA E^DE | ~, from playing this tune with others... Here are the same bars from the book, so as to make the distinction, as I've given it above first...
A-part
| AGE DBG | A^GA E^DE | - to - | AGE DB,G, | ~A,3 EDB, |
B-part
c2 c d^cd | e^de gab | - to - | cdc d^cd | ede gab |
Incidental accidentals, especially when they don't lie on the first note of a beat, so the 2nd or 3rd with a jig, don't pose any real conflct in playing this tune with others. With the bar | A^GA E^DE | the accidental is the second note, just a slight dip below the primary tone of these two beats, or A & E...
# Posted on August 10th 2008 by ceolachan
I forgot to say, nice transcription justjim, I like it...
# Posted on August 10th 2008 by ceolachan
The Castle
Played to perfection by Martin Hayes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9vlmAYw0a8&feature=rec-r2
# Posted on September 11th 2009 by conscientious objector