Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Galway

hornpipe

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on May 21st 2001 by Jeremy.

This tune has been added to 220 tunebooks.

Also known as The Bald Headed Bachelor, Dan Lowry's, Galway, McDermott's, McDermott's No.1.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

1891-1945 Disc 1 by Michael Coleman
25 Years Of Celtic Music (Disc 2) by Various Artists
A Dance Visit To Ireland by McCusker Brothers Ceilidhe Band
A Man Apart by Sean Maguire
A Roof For The Rain by Greenfire
A Tribute To Michael Coleman by Joe Burke, Andy McGann And Felix Dolan
Altan: Live by Altan
An Crann Carraige (Concertina Melodies From Tuamgraney, East Clare) by Martin O'Brien
An Irish Jubilee by Cathal McConnell And Robin Morton
Best Of Irish Fiddle by Florie Brown
Brothers Together by Sean And Jim McGuire
Bruach An TSuláin by The Abbey Céilí Band
Celtic Fire by John Whelan
Citternalia by Joseph Sobol
Claire Mann by Claire Mann
Collection Of Jigs And Reels by Shaskeen
Contemporary Traditional Irish Guitar by Dave Flynn
Far Away Dreams by Various Artists
Farewell To Ireland CD 3 (Of A Box Set Of 4) by Various Artists
Fifty-Odd Years by Jimmy Power
Foinn Seisiun 3 by Ennis/Dublin Session Group
Folk Music And Dances Of Ireland by Various Artists
Fortune Favours The Merry by Peter Horan And Gerry Harrington
From Ballymote To Brooklyn by Paddy Killoran and James Morrison
Gracenotes by Buttons And Bows
Happy Days by Trad Lads
Horse With A Heart by Altan
I Will If I Can by John Carty
In Your Ear by Seamus Egan
Inné Amarach by Teada
Ireland's Best Session Tunes CD 2 by Waltons Recording
Ireland's Own Traditional Accordionist by Finbarr Dwyer
Irish Night by The Gallowglass Ceili Band
It's A Hard Road To Travel by Andy McGann And Paul Brady
Keltish by Keltish
Live At The Crane by Dusty Banjos
Live From Patrick Street by Patrick Street
Macalla Na H�ige by Hugh Healy And Colm Healy
Man Of Achievement by Sean Maguire
Mick Mulcahy And Friends by Mick Mulcahy
Milestone At The Garden by Irish Fiddle Masters From The 78 RPM Era
Morga by Morga
Music At The House by Brendan Bulger, Marty Fahey And Kathleen Gavin
Music In Exile: A Celebration Of Comhaltas In Leeds by Leeds CCE
Music Of A Champion by Brendan McGlinchey
No Afore Time by Hom Bru
No Borders by Meascán
Northern Lights by Kevin And Seamus Glackin
Playing With Fire: The Celtic Fiddle Collection by Various Artists
Plays The Irish Tenor Banjo by Kieran Hanrahan
Pride Of Erin by Under-18 All-Ireland Champions
Rattlin' Banjos (part 1) by Gerry O'Connor
Riverdance And Other Famous Irish Songs And Dances by Various Artists
Rogha Órdha by Various Artists
Round The House And Mind The Dresser: Irish Country House Dance Music by Various Artists
Seven Streams by The Turloughmore Ceili Band
Seven Years After by Sirkus
Sliabh Notes by Sliabh Notes
Star Of Ireland by Finbarr Dwyer
Step This Way by David Lindquist
Take A Bow by Matt Cranitch
Take The Bull By The Horns by Tom Doherty
The Back Door by Cherish The Ladies
The Ballydesmond Polka by Dan Herlihy And John Drew
The Boys From The Blue Hill by Vinnie Kilduff
The Celts Play Connecticut by Various Artists
The Floating Bowhand by Jim McKillop
The Flute Players Of Roscommon - Vol 1 by Various Artists
The Gallowglass Ceili Band by The Gallowglass Ceili Band
The Irish Concertina by Noel Hill
The Maid At The Well by Tony O'Rourke
The Mason's Apron by The Madden Brothers
The Master's Choice by Bobby Gardiner
The Michael Sexton Ceili Band by The Michael Sexton Ceili Band
The Natural Bridge by Ben Lennon And Friends
The Orkney Fiddler by Fiona Driver
The Parish Platform by Rattle The Boards
The Pattern Dance by Men Of Worth
The Plain Of Jars by Brian Kelly
The View Across The Valley by The Brady Family
To Hell With The Begrudgers by Seamus Tansey And Jim McKillop
Tobar An Dúchais by Brid O'Donohue
Tobar An Dúchais: Solo Traditional Irish Tin Whistle Music From County Clare by Bríd O'Donohue
Traditional Irish Fiddle Music by The Kilfenora Fiddle Ceili Band
Traditional Irish Music by William Sullivan
Traditional Music From Cape Breton Island by Natalie And Buddy MacMaster
Traditional Music Of Ireland On Button Accordion by Seamus Walshe
Traditional Music On The Hammer Dulcimer by John Rea
Tuned In by Johnny Murphy
Two Champions: Irish Traditional Music At Its Best. by Sean McGuire And Joe Burke
Two For Two by Laurence Nugent
Uncommon Bonds by Mick Moloney

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The setting I've shown here is really just the bare bones of the tune and should really be considered just a starting point.

When I play this hornpipe, I throw in quite a lot of triplets. In fact, just about anywhere that a note is held longer than usual (except perhaps at the end of a bar), I turn it into a triplet. So the low D at the start of the first part, or the high F at the start of the second part, can be transformed into a quick DED or FEF respectively.

Try variations on the end of the tune with triplets, as well. You could play DED CDE D, for instance.

# Posted on June 2nd 2001 by Jeremy

A "Galway Hornpipe" set

We like to play the "Galway Hornpipe" followed by the "Brown Chest" and then "Cronin's Hornpipe" We play lots of triplets too. Mary Ann

# Posted on April 13th 2005 by beacheroo

Galway on pipes, whistle?

I'm sure this has an obvious answer, but how would a someone playing a whistle or pipes approach playing the low note in the second and forth bars of this tune without playing it in another key? Would they play the same not in a higher octave or would they just wait till the next tune in the set?

# Posted on September 24th 2006 by Colin E.

Galway Hornpipe

Does anyone have any ideas of where to put in triplets. The only recording I've heard (that I can play from) is by the Gallowglass ceili band, put I can't tell how they do the triplets. Thanks

# Posted on September 25th 2006 by enirehtac

Catherine : try to get a listen to Hom Bru's recording of this tune on their CD "No Afore Time". It's a great moderately-paced version to learn from.
As far as triplets go, Jeremy has said it all at the start - it's one of those tunes that is played very idiosyncratically by each different player, but a lot put triplets in the 4th bar that sound very much like the 4th bar of "HArvest Home", so you could try that for starters

# Posted on September 26th 2006 by Bren

Colin: you could just play it as a D or an E, or turn the C-D into a D crann.

SSDSA

# Posted on June 18th 2007 by Yeruvan

a belated reply to Colin E. or whoever still wonders how to play the bottom sharp c:
An answer is that you could play 'e' instead of c at the 2nd and 6th bar here, and f# at the end of each part. This may create a harmony you may or may not find..er..harmonious when playing along with the c# version.

When playing in a group setting, the best rule of thumb is to go for bottom d's (if the tune is in D, etc). This may sound funny on your own but will go unnoticed in the buzz and bustle of a pub session.

Another option is to avoid playing those tunes that are not suited to your instrument or your current ability: It's does no harm to have a rest, sip your beer, observe the other musicians or punters from time to time. Give yourself a rest!

This tune is a good old solid staple item of trad sessions, easy enough for beginners to pick up on the go, with room for variation, but probably too boring to bother w m of the time i'd say.

Don't forget that there are so many hundreds more to chose from!

# Posted on August 15th 2008 by birlibirdie

also, setting it in another key (Gmaj) implies stretching it to the highest d'', not necessarily the sweeteest option! Loud and bad's good though, sometimes. Vent your feelings! Play it by ear!

# Posted on August 15th 2008 by birlibirdie

^C & K: GMaj ~ feat not the c' and d' of it...

You can also, on a D whistle (not a low D) play ^C with your little finger just partially covering the lower opening of the whistle. However, this tune is often played in G Major by others and elsewhere, including on winds. If you're shy of the high c' and d' you can play the second part down an octave...

I've several recordings of it in G Major and may dig one out to transcribe for you here or will offer my own take on it... It's one we also played while living on Cape Breton Island and I believe we played it up, in G Major, and I think I've recordings of that too...