The Abbey

reel

Key signature: Adorian

Submitted on January 2nd 2002 by Josh Kane.

This tune has been added to 502 tunebooks.

Also known as Abbey, Moher, The Moher, Reddigan's.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• 60th Anniversary Celebration by The Tulla Ceili Band
• A Flick Of The Wrist by Brendan Larrissey
• An Bodhran: The Irish Drum by Colm Murphy
• At The End Of The Day by Dervish
• Black Black Black by Cran
• Claddagh's Choice: An Anthology Of Irish Traditional Music by Various Artists
• D Flute Album by Kevin Crawford
• Dance Music Of Ireland: Jigs And Reels by Various Artists
• Dancing To Jigs And Reels by Various Artists
• Far Green Country by John Sherman
• Forgotten Days by Davy Spillane And Kevin Glackin
• Going Elsewhere by The Clayfoot Strutters
• In The Smoke by Various Artists
• Irish Jigs And Reels by Various Artists
• Live At Winkles by The Lahawns
• Liz Carroll by Liz Carroll
• Luminosity by Back Of The Moon
• Maudy's Hut by Jérôme Palac'hig
• Millvalley by DeReelium
• Music In Exile: A Celebration Of Comhaltas In Leeds by Leeds CCE
• New Day Dawning by Cherish The Ladies
• One And All: The Best Of Cherish The Ladies by Cherish The Ladies
• Otherworld by Lunasa
• Out On The Ocean by Moher
• Paddy In The Smoke by Various Artists
• Playing With Fire: The Celtic Fiddle Collection by Various Artists
• Portland by Kevin Burke And Mícheál O'Domhnaill
• Riverdance And Other Famous Irish Songs And Dances by Various Artists
• Song Of The Chanter by Various Artists
• Speed 78 by Mike Rafferty
• Spin by Whirligig
• Sunshine Dance by Deiseal
• The Back Door by Cherish The Ladies
• The Best Of De Danann by De Danann
• The Flute Players Of Roscommon - Vol 1 by Various Artists
• The Frost Is All Over by Paul McGrattan
• The Half Gate by Iontach
• The House I Was Reared In by Christy McNamara
• The Leitrim Thrush by Neil Mulligan
• The Piper's Apron by Tommy Keane
• The Rare Stuff by The Rare Stuff
• The Star Spangled Molly by De Danann
• The Three Sisters by Barry Kerr
• The Twentieth Anniversary Collection by Various Artists
• The View Across The Valley by The Brady Family
• They Sailed Away From Dublin Bay by Liam Farrell And Joe Whelan
• Three's Company by Martin Meehan
• Tunes by Sharon Shannon, Frankie Gavin, Michael McGoldrick And Jim Murray
• Unleashed by The Border Collies
• Wind by Hanz Araki
• Wooden Flute Obsession: Volume 3, Disc 1 by Various Artists

X: 1
T: Abbey, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ador
|: B | A3B A2GE | A2GA BddB | A3B AGEF | G3A Bdd :|
| g | egg2 a2ba | gabg aged | egg2 a2ga | bgaf gedg |
egg2 a2bg | agbg aged | egg2 a2ga | bgaf ged |

Abbey Reel_Paul McGrattan vesion ( album "the frost is all over" )

~A3B A2GE|A2GA BGDB|~A3B AGEF|G2GA BGDB|
~A3B A2GE|A2GA BGDB|A2dB AGEF|G2GA Bdd2||
eg~g2 a2ba|gabg aged|eg~g2 a2ga|bgef ged2|
eg~g2 ag~g2|a2bg aged|eg~g2 a2ga|bgea gedB|

# Posted on October 6th 2002 by gian marco

The Abbey Reel

Yet another interpretation of this little tune:

K: Ador
~A3B A2GE|A2GA BedB|~A3B AGEF|1 G2GA BedB:|2 G2GA Bddg||
eg~g2 a2ba|gabg aged|eg~g2 a2ga|bgaf gedg|
eg~g2 agbg|agbg aged|eggb a2ga|bgaf gedB||

This is mostly based on Davy Spillane and Kevin Glackin's duet playing, but I took the last two bars from Kevin Burke's fiddle playing. I myself play a mixture of all the versions.

As I wrote somewhere before, Abbey is a placename in East Galway. Master fiddler Maeve Donnelly hails from there. Considering Paul McGrattan learned the tune from Mary MacNamara, I guess it was originally played around East Clare and East Galway. Well, it's now popularised as one of Lunasa tunes all over the world though.

I remember Dervish recorded a completely different tune as "The Abbey Reel," but does anybody have another title for it?

# Posted on February 27th 2005 by slainte

The major version of Scotch Mary.

# Posted on February 28th 2005 by Dr. Dow

More specifically the tune Dervish play are the last 2 parts of Johnny Doherty's 3 part version of Scotch Mary (see 'The Northern Fiddler', where it is listed under francie and Mickey Byrne)

# Posted on July 17th 2005 by prouse

I believe J. Doherty's 3 part version of Scotch Mary is recorded on Altan's "Runaway Sunday."

# Posted on July 18th 2005 by slainte

Can someone please transcribe the 3-parter?

# Posted on July 18th 2005 by Dr. Dow

Well, you don't have to buy any tunebook. Just refer to "Fiddle Music of Donegal": http://misaok.hp.infoseek.co.jp/fmod/d_sakuin/do_saku.html

# Posted on July 18th 2005 by slainte

Thanks.

# Posted on July 19th 2005 by Dr. Dow

My version

Here's some of my variations:

A3 B A2 GE|~A3 G B (3ded B|A2 AB AGED|DEGA B (3ded B|
~A3 B A2 GE|A2 AG BddB|A3 B AGED|DEGA Bddg||
eg~g2 a2 ba|gabg ageg|degb a2 ga|bgaf gedg|
eg~g2 ag~g2|agbg ageg|degb a2 ga|(3bag af gedB||

# Posted on August 17th 2005 by errik

Recent Transcription

Picked this up at a recent session in O'Neills in NY. It has three nice variations on the B part.

X: 1
T: The Abbey Reel
T: Transcribed from an O'Neills Session , NY 11/12/07
M: 8/8
L: 1/8
Q: 400
R: Reel / Barn dance
K: Dmix
|: A3 (BA2) GE | A2 GABd3 | A3 (BA2) GE |GEDE GAdB :|
| efge a4 | gabg aged |efge a2ga | b2af fgfd |
| efge agbg | agbg ageg |d^deg a4 | agef gedc |
|: A3 (BA2) GE | A2 GABd3 | A3 (BA2) GE |GEDE GAdB :|
| efge a4 | gabg aged |efge a2ga | b2af fgfd |
| efge agbg | agbg ageg |dege a2ge | gfeg fdcB|
|: A3 (BA2) GE | A2 GABd3 | A3 (BA2) GE |GEDE GAdB :|
| efge a4 | gabg aged |efge a2ga | b2af fgfd |
| efge agbg | agbg ageg |dege a2ga | bgaf gedB|

# Posted on November 17th 2007 by bledsoeo

Spillane version

X: 1
T: Abbey, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ador
| A3B A2GE | A2GA BedB | A3B AGED | G3A BedB |
| A3B A2GE | A2GA BedB | AGAB AGED | G3A Bddg |
| eggg gaba | gabg aged | egg2 a2ga | bgef gedg |
eggg agbg | agbg aged | eggg gaga | bgef gedB |

# Posted on January 8th 2011 by Manu Novo

The Abbey Reel

This tune appeared first in Breandán Breathnach's 'Tacar Port' during the early sixties. It appears under the name 'Ríl Roideacáin' . Redican's Reel. This would strongly suggest the tune was in fact composed by Larry Redican. There are other indications the tune came from the US: it has appeared several times as 'The Irish American Reel'.

Breathnach's source for the tune was accordeonplayer Sonny Brogan who was part of Seán O Riada's Ceoloiri Cualann. The tune was a favourite of the members of the group and it was used in their performances in The Abbey Theatre in Dublin for which they named the tune.

Regarding the East Clare/Galway argument above : newly composed tunes were greatly popular in the areas, there were great pockets of Reavey, Redican and other 'new' tunes in the repertoire. One of Martin Rochford's msot wellknown tunes, often named for him, was in fact a Larry Redican composition, 'Forget Me Not' .

# Posted on February 27th 2011 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski

The Abbey Reel

The resemblance between the first part of the Abbey and the version of the Dusty Miller got from Colm O' Cathain (and often played himself) is striking by the way. Leaves you wondering about a connection.

# Posted on February 27th 2011 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski

do you mean something like this here great, 'squared up' version of the Dusty Miller, Prof? http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/4323

The usual version (in 12/8) has an ascending 2nd part that the 'squared up' version hasn't (retained), which is closer to the Abbey's 2nd part...
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/28

Anyhow, I like all of these 'angry' or at least adamantine tunes; they've the sacred fire in them!

# Posted on April 11th 2012 by birlibirdie