Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Tom Dowd's Favourite

reel

Key signature: Eminor

Submitted on June 29th 2004 by petemay.

This tune has been added to 28 tunebooks.

Also known as John Egan's, The Leitrim , Rogha Thomáis Uí Dhubhda.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

An Ph by Dicky Deegan
An Traidisiun Beo by Angelina Carberry
Baker's Well by Baker's Well
Bakerswell by Bakerswell
Barr Na Cuille by Neil Mulligan
Bruach An TSuláin by The Abbey Céilí Band
Cairde Cairdín by Diarmuid O'Brien
Call The Tune: Music For The Sets Volume 4 by Various Artists
Carrying The Tune by Kevin Crawford
Castle Ceili Band by Castle Ceili Band
Ceilidh House by Fergie MacDonald And Friends
Drivin' Leitrim Timber by Dave Sheridan
Foinn Seisiun 2 by Ceoltóirí Cultúrlainne
For The Sake Of Old Decency by Various Artists
Give Us A Penny And Let Us Be Gone by Teada
In Full Flight by Gavin Whelan
Keelwest by Paul McGrattan
Lan Dochais by Mayo Roscommon Hospice Support Group, Newport
Like The Wind (Ar Nos Na Gaoithe) by John Wynne
Lucky In Love by Charlie Lennon And Mick O'Connor
Masters Of Tradition by Various Artists
Midnight On The Water by The Kings River Band
Notes From The Heart by Mick, Louise And Michelle Mulcahy
Pride Of The West by John Wynne And John McEvoy
Sweeter As The Years Roll By by James Keane
Sweetwood by Liam Kelly
The Frost Is All Over by Paul McGrattan
The Moneymusk by Hammy Hamilton
The Pleasures Of Hope by Harry Bradley And Michael Clarkson
The Ships Are Sailing by Comhaltas Concert Tour Group 1978
Toss The Feathers by Mountain Dew

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Simple but effective

I first learned this reel from the dots, browsing through Breandan Breathnach's "Ceol Rince na hEireann" Book 1 (it's no.115), and I was taken by it's pleasing simplicity. There's a nice change between E minor and G major between the A and B music, and it makes a good tune to start off a set of reels; you can disappear into an A minor/major or D major tune after it with great lift. I reckon any tune with Dowd in the title is worth a look! Pete Coe (Ripponden) says the same about any tune with Jackson in the title...

# Posted on June 29th 2004 by petemay

Drag her round the road?

A version of this tune would appear to be in the data base already as the E minor reel `Drag her round the road`also known as Andy McGann`s No 42 or The Bunratty reel.

# Posted on June 29th 2004 by cos

Drag her round the road!

http://thesession.org/tunes/display.php/1148

# Posted on June 30th 2004 by slainte

Well, "Tom Dowd's Favourite" at least doesn't have the vaguely (or not so vaguely) misogynistic overtones of "Drag her round the road," allowing of course for personalization of inanimate objects as female, blabbity blah, etc.

# Posted on June 30th 2004 by maderinerue

Did you ever get that job in a museum?

I`m sure Andy McGann wouldn`t consider dragging a female around with him at his age...

# Posted on July 1st 2004 by cos

Drag her round the road... maybe!

Thanks for that enlightening connection between these two tunes; I'd never spotted that the A music is similar, despite knowing the other tune well. I would say that the B music's substantially different, but they're no doubt of the same family. My mate Andy P. reckons there's only one Irish tune, and all the others are just variants. Anoraks please discuss. But maybe not here or Jeremy might complain!

# Posted on July 3rd 2004 by petemay

Tom Dowd's Favourite (reel)

This version of "Drag Her Round the Road" is on Paul McGrattan's "Frost Is All Over" and Angelina Carberry's recent album "An Traidisiun Beo." It seems Breathnach collected from the flute playing of John Egan, and in fact Paul McGrattan recorded it as "John Egan's."

# Posted on December 9th 2005 by slainte

Tune with similarities here http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/5478

# Posted on April 18th 2007 by Dr. Dow

This is on the Mulcahy Family's Notes From The Heart as "John Egan's", track 4, middle tune of the 3.

# Posted on April 6th 2008 by Dr. Dow

"John Egan's reel" from "The frost is all over" by Paul McGrattan

According to "John Egan's reel" from "The frost is all over" by Paul McGrattan is equal to "Tom Dowd's favourite", I would prefer to transcribe Paul McGrattan's version as follows (the latest 2-3 bars are quite different):

X:1
T:John Egan's reel
M:C|
L:1/8
R:reel
K:Em
GA|BEED GEDE|GEDE G3 A|BEED GE D2|1 BddB A2:|2 BddB AcBA|
!|:~G3 G GBdB|~G3 B AEEF|G2 GF GBdg|1 e2 dB AcBA:|2 e2 dB A2||

# Posted on March 21st 2009 by OsvaldoLaviosa

Tom Dowd's Favourite

Here's a great version I found on youtube as played by Kevin Crawford.

X: 1
T: Tom Dowd's Favourite
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Emin
|: DGGG GBdB | GBdB AGED | DGGG G2 Bd | ~e2 dB ABdB |
DGGG GBdB | GBdB AGED | GGGB d2 (3Bcd | ~e2 dB (3ABA GA ||
BEEE (3GFE DE | (3GFE DE GGGA | BEEE (3GFE DE | (3Bcd dB (3ABA GA |
BEEE (3GFE DE | (3GFE DE GG G2 | AGBG EBGE | DGBG ABdB ||

Terrible audio quality but you'll get the idea. It starts about 1.50 He's playing it on a C whistle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwpCgOOt2V8

# Posted on April 12th 2009 by bogman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYaaLnh7VI0&feature=search
this is link on you tube, where davy maguire teached us this reel at san benedetto festival as thomas duddy's reel.
i am person on right corner .........
marin

# Posted on August 21st 2010 by maracirac