An Raibh Tu Ar An GCarraig

waltz

Key signature: Eminor

Submitted on June 21st 2009 by JACKB.

This tune has been added to 47 tunebooks.

Also known as 13.Raibh Tu Ag An GCarraig (Were You At The Rock), An Carraig An Aifrinn, An Raibh Tu Ag An GCarraig, An Raibh Tú Ag An GCarraig, Ar Raibh Tu Ag An GCarraig?, Raibh Tu Ag An GCarraig (Were You At The Rock), Were You At The Rock, Were You At The Rock?.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• Ace And Deuce by Ace And Deuce
• First Through The Gate by Brian Conway
• From Both Sides by Niamh Ni Charra
• Legacy by The Dunne Family
• Play It By Ear by Dinny McLaughlin
• Rogha Órdha by Various Artists
• Sligo Fiddle (Disk 2) by John Vesey
• Stormy Weather by Beginish
• Sweetwood by Liam Kelly
• The Chieftains 3 by The Chieftains
• The Last House In Ballymakea by Junior Crehan
• The Rowsome Tradition: Five Generations Of Uileann Piping by Kevin Rowsome
• The Star Above The Garter by Denis Murphy And Julia Clifford
• The Tailor's Choice by Joe Burke
• Traditional Music From Ireland by Kieran Fahy
• World Library Of Folk And Primitive Music, Vol.2, Ireland by Various Artists

X: 1
T: An Raibh Tu Ar An GCarraig
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: waltz
K: Emin
|:ed|BB3 Bd|ee3 ef|gg g3 f/e/|f3e (3dBA|
B4 ef|g>g g3 f/e/|ff3 (3edB|ee3 z d/e/|
f>e e2 gf|e>d BA Bc|d2 B2 gf|e>d BA FE|
D4 EF|G>G G2 e/d/B/G/|FF F2 z A/F/|E3 D/E/ F>E|E4||

Were you at the rock

One of my favourite slow airs, I believe the gaelic translates to Were Yiu At The Rock.

# Posted on June 21st 2009 by JACKB

The "Rock" meaning the Mass rock.
Under penal law it was illegal for catholics to celebrate mass - punishment was forfeiture of all land, goods and so forth. The priest was hung - till near death , revived , drawn behind a horse/cart along the ground and then "quartered" by being pulled apart by 2 - 4 horses. Hung, drawn and quartered.
Were you at the rock was a euphemism for - were at mass. Many words like the word Éire were banned.
We have here a book about songs that opens with the paragraff containing the line "people were hung - in living memory - for singing about Ireland" . It was printed in 1970.
Peter

# Posted on June 23rd 2009 by Peter O'Connor

Recordings

This also appears on Deanta's "Ready for the Storm"

# Posted on June 27th 2009 by gigues

Another recording

This also appears on Deanta's album "Ready for the Storm" whose entry currently doesn't have a live link to this tune.

# Posted on January 1st 2010 by gigues

An raibh tu ag an gcarraig

An raibh tu ag an gcarraig? Were you at the rock?
An raibh tu ar an gcarraig? Were you on the rock?
Listed as a waltz, never heard of it as such, only as an air.
The midi is not an air either, is there a reason for this?

# Posted on January 8th 2010 by rms

Try transcribing the tune yourself, and you'll see why.

# Posted on January 10th 2010 by slainte

Seamus Ennis, quite possibly one of the greatest things I've ever heard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF3fW4Nox9U

# Posted on May 8th 2011 by SmashTheWindows

"...and many such symbolic songs can be accepted on either or both of two levels - the actual or the symbolic. One cannot accept, though, the attempt by the over-scrupulous to show that almost every love song is in reality a religious song. A song like 'An raibh tú ar an gCarraig?' ('Were you at Carrick?') could be interpreted as a symbolic song about the Mass-rock, as long as it is realised that it is first of all a love song..."

Tomás Ó Canainn, Traditional Music in Ireland, ISBN 978-0946005734.

# Posted on May 9th 2011 by Weejie

Recording under a different name

Just FYI

Swiss folk/death metal band Eluveitie have a recording of this tune as the track "Otherworld".

It is the intro/first track on their album "Everything Remains (As It Never Was)".

The actual tune is performed by Uilleann piper Brendan Wade.

# Posted on May 15th 2011 by BarryK