The Session >> Tunes >> Paddy Ryan's Dream (reel)

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Paddy Ryan's Dream

reel

Key signature: Aminor

Submitted on May 25th 2001 by Jeremy.

This tune has been added to 223 tunebooks.

Also known as Miss Grant Of Laggan, Miss Lyall, Miss Lyle, Mooney's, O Cuinneagain's Downfall.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Paddy Ryan's Dream
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Amin
|:AEDE cABG|EGEC B,CDB,|A,G,A,B, CDEG|cABG ABcB:|
|Aaa^g aecA|Ggg^f gdBG|Aaa^g aefd|ecdB ABcB|
Aaa^g aecA|Ggg^f gdBG|AcBd cedf|edcB ABcB|

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
Paddy Ryan's Dream sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

A strange tune, this one. I find that the second part sounds more like an eastern european tune than an Irish reel. It must be those sharps.

Sometimes I catch myself playing this tune with more of a hornpipe-type rhythm. It sounds fine like that, but it loses some of the urgency it has when played as a reel.

For ornamentation, try lengthening some notes. In the first part, instead of playing AEDE, try playing a simple AE E, or instead of that low AGAB, make it A AB. Alternatively, turn those very same long notes into quick triplets: AE EDE, AGA AB.

You can a bit more of an exotic flair to this reel by sometimes playing the Gs as sharps in the first part. I think it's actually shown in O'Neill's with the Gs sharp.

# Posted on June 2nd 2001 by Jeremy

Another little variation

Here's another nice little variation to play at the very start of the tune - play that very first A note one octave lower.
So, if you were playing fiddle, instead of going down to the E from the open A string, you would now come up to it from the A note on the G string.

# Posted on July 25th 2001 by Jeremy

Scottish origins?

This is known in Scotland as Miss Lyall. There are slight variations in the first part but the structure is essentially the same. The second part is typically Scots in charatcter.

# Posted on May 11th 2002 by donnchad

Follows Stathspey of the same Name

The reel has the same melodic structure as the strathspey that usually goes first (which bears the same name).

# Posted on April 18th 2003 by pchaffee

Reels to go with 'Paddy Ryan's Dream'

I love the reel 'Paddy Ryan's Dream' but am having trouble finding tunes that it goes well with - do you have any ideas?

# Posted on October 9th 2004 by haylien

Re: Reels to go with 'Paddy Ryan's Dream'

The Collier's perhaps. Or The Crock of Gold by Vincent Broderick, doesn't fit as well musically, but certainly goes with the story of Paddy Ryan's dream!

# Posted on October 9th 2004 by meemtp

Re: Reels to go with 'Paddy Ryan's Dream'

Paddy Ryan's Dream/The Ballinasloe Fair
The Girl That Broke My Heart / Paddy Ryan's Dream / Music In The Glen
Paddy Ryan's Dream-Fahy's Reel-The Pigeon On The Gate
Doherty's Reel / Paddy Ryan's Dream / McGinnely's Reel
Paddy Ryan's Dream/Never Was Piping So Gay/John McGrath's
Paddy Ryan's Dream/Mamma's Pet
Martin Haye's, The Boys Of Chicago, Paddy Ryan's Dream
My Love Is In America / Paddy Ryan's Dream / Mother's Delight
Paddy Ryan's Dream/Dowd's Favourite/Phelim's Frolic
Paddy Ryan's Dream/Coleman's Cross
The Little Beggarman/The Scaredy-Cat Reel/Paddy Ryan's Dream/Dillon's Fancy
Sean Reid's Reel / Roscommon / Paddy's Ryan's Dream
The Hut On Staffin Island/The Haggis/Paddy Ryan's Dream
Paddy Ryan's Dream/ The Inimitable Reel/ The Macroom Lassies
Paddy Ryan's Dream - Ian Morissons's
Trip to Durrow Paddy Ryan's Dream / Sheila Coyles
Micho Russel's/Paddy Ryan's Dream/Tear The Calico

# Posted on October 9th 2004 by gian marco

Re: Reels to go with 'Paddy Ryan's Dream'

Paddy Ryan has a recurring dream that he'll find his fortune in Dublin on the O'Connell bridge. So, he goes to Dublin, wanders around for a few days. Nada. then he runs into a neighbor from back in the town he came from. The neighbor asks what he's doing there, so he tells him about the drea. The neighbor says "Wow that's funny, I've a had a dream a few times that there was a crock of gold buried under one of the plants in your mother's Garden." So Paddy goes home, digs up all the plants, and under the last one, which is old and dying, he finds a huge crock of gold. I don't know exactly where the story originated. Great folk tale though.

# Posted on October 9th 2004 by meemtp

Re: Reels to go with 'Paddy Ryan's Dream'

Gian Marco - how did you generate your list? The contra dance band I play in (The Old Sod Band) recorded the Trip to Durrow/Paddy Ryan's Dream/Sheila Coyles combination - has someone else recorded it?

# Posted on October 9th 2004 by ian clark

Re: Reels to go with 'Paddy Ryan's Dream'

I just rememebered that the plant that the gold was to be found under was a Gooseberry bush, so perhaps a good set would be Paddy Ryan's Dream/The Crock of Gold/The Gooseberry Bush. I can't remember how the Gooseberry Bush goes though, not sure if Crock of Gold leads into that well!

# Posted on October 9th 2004 by meemtp

Probably not Irish

It certainly sounds very scottish to me.

# Posted on September 29th 2005 by Beheader

I think this one is in B minor on Johnny Og Connolly & Brian McGrath's "Dreaming Up the Tunes" album.

# Posted on October 21st 2005 by withak

"Mooney's"

Also known as "Paddy Ryan's Dream"
Submitted on January 17th 2003 by what?!!?.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/1344

# Posted on May 13th 2006 by ceolachan

You'll hear "Paddy Ryan's Dream" near the beginning of the new movie "The Other Boleyn Girl"!

For whatever reason, the director of this movie decided to have Mary Boleyn's wedding party in 1530's England entertained by very fine Irish musicians, led by a fine Sligo-style fiddler playing this tune! I started laughing in the theater and my family looked at me a little strangely until I told them what it was....

# Posted on March 13th 2008 by dlowder

Donegal Version - "Mooney's"

The link posted above to tune #1344 now does not work, so I am reposting that version here in the comments section. This is the Donegal version of Paddy Ryan's Dream with C#s, popularised by Tommy Peoples. It sometimes goes by the title "Mooney's Reel", which, according to the Fiddler's Companion, does not refer to Frankie and Mairead Mooney, but is an older title.

First Tommy Peoples' setting, which was originally posted here as tune #1344:

X: 1
T: Mooney's
T: Paddy Ryan's Dream (Donegal Version)
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
S: Tommy Peoples
Z: what?!!?
K: Amix
ed |: cA A/A/A cABG | EGD=C B,CDB, | =CA,B,G, A,B,CD | EA^GB Aced |
| cA A/2A/2A cABG | EGD=C B,CDB, | =CA,B,G, A,B,CD |1 EA^GB Aced :|2 EA^GB Aef^g ||
|: a^gae ceAf | gfgd BFGB | A^gae cBAc | B^GED CEA^g |
| a^gae ceAf | gfgd BGBd | cBcd edcB |1 Aa^gb aef^g :|2 Aa^gb a2ed ||

This setting was also recorded by Michelle O'Brien. Here's my own transcription of her setting:

X: 1
T: Mooney's
T: Paddy Ryan's Dream (Donegal Version)
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
S: Michelle O'Brien
Z: Dow
K: Amix
cA A/A/A cABG | EDD=C (3A,B,C DB, | =CA,A,G, ~A,2CD | ~E2^GB Afed |
~c2ac cAAG | EDD=C (3A,B,C DB, | =CA,A,G, ~A,2CD |1 ED^GB A3B :|2 ED^GB A3^g ||
|: ae e/e/e ceAc | B/B/Bge dBG^g | a^gae ceAc | B^GED CEA^g |
| a^gae ceAc | ~B2ge dBGB | A2 B/c/d edcd |1 eaa^g a4 :|2 eaa^g gaed ||

# Posted on April 24th 2008 by Dow

I found another transcription of the Donegal version on the net, this time from the playing of Paul O'Shaughnessy (edited a bit by me for easier comparison):

X: 1
T: Paddy Ryan's Dream
S: Paul O'Shaughnessy
Z: Juergen.Gier@post.rwth-aachen.de
M: C|
L: 1/8
K: Amix
cA~A2 cABG|EGDB, =CEDB,|=CA,A,G, A,B,CD|~E2AE ^GBed|
cA~A2 cABG|EGDB, =CEDB,|=CA,A,G, A,B,CD|1 EA^GB A2ed:|2 EA^GB A2f^g||
|:agae ceAf|gfgd BFGB|Aaae ceAc|BGED CEAa|
agae ceAf|gfgd BFGB|cBcd edcB|1 Aa^gb aefg:|2 Aa^gb aeed||

# Posted on June 4th 2008 by Dow

P. O'Shaughnessy recorded it on "Within a Mile of Dublin." John Doherty is cited as the source of the version.

# Posted on June 5th 2008 by slainte

The other boleyn girl

I really liked the version in the film, even bought the soundtrack, but of course it had only the orchestral bits. Anyone know who plays it? It doesn't say in the credits

# Posted on February 21st 2009 by lantalooon

Paddy Ryan's Dream out of context?

Hi everyone.
I watched a film last night, 'The Other Boleyn Girl'. In it at one stage early in the film, there is a scene of country dancing outdoors. The dancers were dancing to the reel Paddy Ryan's Dream. Does anyone know if this tune would have been around in 16th century England ?, or was this artistic license on the part of the film-makers.

Neil

# Posted on April 19th 2009 by neilowen

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