The Donegal Traveller

reel

Key signature: Cmajor

Submitted on December 30th 2004 by Kenny.

This tune has been added to 40 tunebooks.

Also known as The Donegal Traveler, Gillespie's, The Tuam.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• Classic Recordings Of Irish Traditional Fiddle Music by Hugh Gillespie
• Damp In The Attic (I Was Flyin' It) by P.J. King, Martin Murray, Cyril O'Donoghue, And Colm Murphy
• First Through The Gate by Brian Conway
• Lá Lugh by Lá Lugh
• Memories Of Galway by Seamus Walshe
• Mouthorgan by Will Atkinson
• Potsticks by Sean Moloney
• Pure Traditional Irish Accordion Music by Finbarr Dwyer
• Skin And Bow by Declan Folan And Junior Davey
• Stay Another While by Paul O'Shaughnessy And Frankie Lane
• The Back Door by Cherish The Ladies
• The Blue Idol by Altan
• The Maple Leaf by Jimmy Noonan, Chris McGrath
• The Plain Of Jars by Brian Kelly
• The Rocky Road by Michael Kerry
• The Slopes Of Benbulben by John Regan
• Traditional Music Of Ireland On Button Accordion by Seamus Walshe

X: 1
T: Donegal Traveller, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Cmaj
c2 Gc EcGc | c2 ec BcdB | c2 Gc Ecde | fagf ecdB |
c2 Gc EcGc | c2 ec BcdB | c2 Gc Ecde | fagf ec c2 |
g3 a gece | gage fd d2 | gc c2 ac c2 | gagf ecce |
g2 ga gece | gceg fdde | f2 fe fedc | Bagf efdB |

The Donegal Traveller

I first heard this reel on a recording by accordionist Finbar Dwyer, who played it in “A” and called it “Gillespie’s”. The “Gillespie” in question was fiddler Hughie Gillespie, who recorded it on an old
78 rpm record. It appears in Bulmer & Sharpley’s "Music Of Ireland" Vol.4 under that title and in that key. I more or less ignored it for years until hearing a concertina player from Kerry playing it at the Clonmel Fleadh in 1994. She played it in the key of “C”, and it is her version I’ve transcribed here. It is often played by Joe Burke, who has been known to give it the curious title of “The Mouse Who Strangled The Cat”. To further complicate matters, it appears on “The Maple Leaf” by Jimmy Noonan and Chris McGrath played in “D”, so if someone springs this on you in the middle of a medley, check which key it is first !

# Posted on December 30th 2004 by Kenny

Altan

Here's a 3-part version from Altan, played by Dermot Byrne on box.

T:The Donegal Traveller
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:C
S:Dermot Byrne
|:c2 Gc EcGc|c2 ec dcAB|c2 Gc EcGE|FDGF ECEG|
c2 Gc EcGc|c2 ec dcAg|fedB cBAG|ABcd ecca||
|:g2 eg cgeg|cgef gdBd|(3gag eg cgeg|fagf ecce|
g2 eg cgeg|cgeg gdBd|agfe f2 de|fagf eccd||
|:ecgc acgc|ecgc AcGc|e~c3 acgc|fagf eccd|
ecgc acgc|ecBc AcGg|agfe ~f2 de|fagf ecdB||

# Posted on January 13th 2005 by errik

Aka. "The Mouse that Caught the Cat"

This tune appears as "The Tuam Reel" on east Galway flute player Sean Moloney's recent solo album. He learned it from Joe Burke and Paddy Carty. Now, I quote the notes: "Joe informed me that the tune is also called The Mouse that Caught the Cat and is a version of the Donegal Traveller. He obtained it from fiddle player Sean Ryan in the 1950's. Emmet Gill suggested the name, Tuam Reel, as this is the name on the earliest recording we can find of the tune by P. J. Conlon."

# Posted on January 13th 2005 by slainte