Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Boolavogue

waltz

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on December 18th 2005 by MBAC.

This tune has been added to 101 tunebooks.

Also known as The Boolavogue March, Boulavogue.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Dancing Through Ireland by Various Artists
Festival Of Traditional Irish Music by Various Artists
Finnegan Wakes by The Dubliners
From The Archives by Sean McGuire And Josephine Keegan
IAANJ Session V by Mike And Mary Rafferty And Session Musicians
Ireland's Finest by The Dubliners
Leo Rowsome: Classics Of Irish Piping by Leo Rowsome
Morning Dew by King's Galliard
Pipes, Rods 'n' Reels by Ray Sloan
Tarbolten by The Feekers
The Ancient Voice Of Ireland by Mick O'Brien
The Coolin': Classic Slow Airs And Laments by Various Artists
The Sound Of Ireland CD3 by Various Artists
The World Pipe Band Championships 2006 by Various Artists
To Hell With The Begrudgers by Seamus Tansey And Jim McKillop
Tom Carey by Tom Carey
Tom McHale: All Ireland Whistling Champion At Boyle by Tom McHale
Unison by Jack Brennan

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Boolavogue
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: waltz
K: Dmaj
"D"D2|D4 A,2|D2F2A2|"G"d4c2|Bd3 BB|"A"A4 B2|"Bm"FE D3F|"Em"E4 D2|"G"B,4"A7"C2|
"D"D4 A,2|D2F2A2|"G"d4c2|Bd3 B2|"D"A4B2|"Bm"FED2F2|"A7"E4C2|"D"D4F2|
A4F2|"F#m"AB3c2|"G"d4c2|B2d2B2|"D"A4B2|"Bm"F4 DF|"Em"E4 D2|"G"B,4 "A7"C2|
"D"D4 A,2|D4 FA|"G"d4 c2|Bd3B2|"D"A4B2|"Bm"FED2F2|"A7"E4C2|"D"D4:|

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

I discovered this tune in a book, which said about the Boolavogue: "Composed by PJ McCall, born in Patrick St.,Dublin of a Carlow father and a Wexford mother, who's set lyrics, relating to the Rebellion of 1798, to an ancient irish air."

# Posted on December 18th 2005 by MBAC

This is a lovely tune played as a slow air and would be ruined if played as a mazurka. Have a listen to Noel Hill's rendition of the tune as an air on his latest CD and you'll be convinced!

# Posted on December 19th 2005 by Bannerman

Noel Hill's Latest CD

See http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/1656 for details of the CD. The Mountains of Pomeroy is also another great tune which Noel performs as a slow air on the CD.

# Posted on December 19th 2005 by Bannerman

"Boolavogue" ~ an 'air' lacking the swing of a mazurka

As an 'air' this would be best placed as 3/4 with the waltzes, as it lacks the swing of the mazurkas...

This was one of the first ever tunes I learned in my infancy... It has a place of fondness...

# Posted on December 19th 2005 by ceolachan

Boolavague/Boulavogue

The tune is usually, in my experience, played as a slow air and as such has the emphasis placed on the first beat of the bar as shown by the first note being a white one (2 beats).
To play it as a mazurka, it would have to be rewritten to place the emphasis on the last beat i.e. making it a 2 beat note.
Mountains of Pomeroy can be played as either a slow air or a march so its not impossible to change the tempo of a tune, it just takes a bit of thinking.

# Posted on December 20th 2005 by fiddler91

I'd be fairly sure that this tune was only classified as a mazurka due to the fact that there's no category available for slow airs. Whatever about the possibility of playing it as a mazurka my advice is "please don't". It's a lovely air that's stood the test of time and the associated song relates to a long-distant era in Irish history (1798) where there was no differentiation between protestant, catholic, presbyterian or dissenter as they stood shoulder to shoulder in the cause of liberty, fraternity and equality (or sentiments to that effect - history was never my strongest subject!). I think you'll agree with me though that it would be a bit incongruous to see couples lurching around the dance floor "shoe the donkey" style to this beautiful melody!

# Posted on December 20th 2005 by Bannerman

"Boolavogue" ~ unstructured, Boom-Chuck-Chuck, & marching ~

Ditto ~ slow and graceful... I learned this first in the sean nos sense, without strict timing, free and interpretive, as one would sing in that style. However, I've also heard it with the Boom-Chuck-Chuck, as a waltz, and also as a march in 4/4 time...

# Posted on December 20th 2005 by ceolachan

Nice one MBAC ~ now I can sleep at night... ;-)

# Posted on December 21st 2005 by ceolachan

"Boolavogue" (Boleyvogue) ~ County Wexford / air ~ "Eochaill"

Lyrics ~ P.J. McCall, 1861-1919

At Boolavogue, as the sun was setting
O'er the bright May meadows of Shelmalier,
A rebel hand set the heather blazing
And brought the neighbours from far and near.
Then Father Murphy, from old Kilcormack,
Spurred up the rocks with a warning cry;
"Arm! Arm!" he cried, "for I've come to lead you,
For Ireland's freedom we fight or die."

He led us on 'gainst the coming soldiers,
And the cowardly Yeomen we put to flight;
'Twas at the Harrow the boys of Wexford
Showed Bookey's Regiment how men could fight.
Look out for hirelings, King George of England,
Search ev'ry kingdom where breathes a slave,
For Father Murphy of the County Wexford
Sweeps o'er the land like a mighty wave.

We took Camolin and Enniscorthy,
And Wexford storming drove out our foes;
‘Twas at Sliabh Coillte our pikes were reeking
With the crimson stream of the beaten Yeos.
At Tubberneering and Ballyellis
Full many a Hessian lay in his gore;
Ah, Father Murphy, had aid come over
The green flag floated from shore to shore!

At Vinegar Hill, o'er the pleasant Slaney,
Our heroes vainly stood back to back,
And the Yeos at Tullow took Father Murphy
And burned his body upon the rack.
God grant you glory, brave Father Murphy
And open heaven to all your men;
The cause that called you may call tomorrow
In another fight for the Green again.

Father John Murphy (1753-1798) Centre,
Tomnaboley, Boolavogue, Ferns, County Wexford

http://www.boolavogue.info/home.html

# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by ceolachan

"Fr. John Murphy of Boolavogue 1753-1798"

by local historian Nicholas Furlong
Geography Publications, 1991
ISBN: 0906602181
~ Father John Murphy and Wexford and the United Irishmen Rebellion of 1797-8 ~

"John Murphy was born in the townland of Tincurry, parish of Ferns, county Wexford in 1753. He was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1779 and went to Seville, Spain and returned to Tincurry in 1785. John Murphy was then posted to Boolavogue as parish curate.

On 14th July 1789, the world changed. The Bastille was stormed - and France erupted town by town, city by city. The revolution bred an army which in ten years became the most powerful and feared war machine in Europe. Nevertheless, it took ten years for Wexford’s passion to ignite.

Father Murphy was captured after the rebellion and executed at Tallow 2nd September 1798. It was a great many years before Wexford began to recover. After a while books began to be published about the upheaval. The memories were as interesting and varied as the ‘98 leaders themselves - their weaknesses and their flaws remembered. One man, however, emerged and remained as beyond reproach in the insurgents’ memory. That man was John Murphy, the curate of Boolavogue."

# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by ceolachan

Many thanks ceolachan for providing the background to this great tune. In fact this period seems to have spawned quite a number of songs and tunes such as the Boys of Wexford and Kelly the boy from Kilanne, two celebrated marches. Marches seem to be poor relations at sessions but we've introduced two (A Nation Once Again and Clare Dragoons) a couple of weeks ago and so far they've been very well received - our inspiration by the way is Clare's Turloughgmore Céilí Band who used the first one during their performance at the 2005 All Ireland in Letterkenny.

# Posted on December 24th 2005 by Bannerman

"Boolavogue" ~ played as a 3/4 march

There's another guise for it...

# Posted on October 9th 2007 by ceolachan

"Boolavogue" ~ a take on a C whistle ~ Tony Hinnigan

Tony Hinnigan
http://www.tonyhinnigan.com/
http://www.tonyhinnigan.com/whistles.php#

4.) Whistle in C by Chris Abel ~ (movie: "The Patriot Game") Boulavogue
http://www.tonyhinnigan.com/movie.php?pageName=tony5.mov

# Posted on February 23rd 2008 by ceolachan

A slightly Different version

# Posted on May 20th 2010 by cboody