Dan Breen's

reel

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on September 30th 2002 by pjmacd.

This tune has been added to 173 tunebooks.

Also known as Biddy Early's, Breen's, Kevin Burke's, The Shepherd's Daughter, West Clare.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• Across The Waters - Irish Traditional Music From England by Various Artists
• Altan's Finest by Altan
• Atlantic Breeze by Shaskeen
• Best Of 1987-1993 by Altan
• Bohola (3) by Bohola
• Buttons And Bows by Jackie Daly, Seamus And Manus McGuire
• Castle Ceili Band by Castle Ceili Band
• Cork Folk Festival Archive: Celebrating 21 Years by Various Artists
• Dawn In The Hills Of Ireland by Marty O'Keefe
• Drifted by Ginger
• Fiddle Fair: Declan McCarthy's Baltimore by Various Artists
• Flatfish by Flook
• Foxglove by Moving Cloud
• Fresh Takes by John Whelan And Eileen Ivers
• From A Distant Shore: Irish And Cape Breton Traditional Music by Various Artists
• Fused by Michael McGoldrick
• Instrumental by Franz Sanger And Susan Frances
• John Bowe And Mary Conroy by John Bowe
• Launching The Boat by Siona
• Live Recordings From The William Kennedy Piping Festival by Various Artists
• North-by-NorthWest by Eliot Grasso And Dave Cory
• On Safari by Keep It Up
• On The Right Track by Coisir
• Pont Gwenn Ha Pont Stang by Jean-Michel Veillon And Yvon Riou
• Pride Of New York by Joanie Madden, Brian Conway, Billy McComiskey And Brendan Dolan
• Return To Droim by Colm Gannon
• Set Dances Of Ireland, Volume IV by Various Artists
• Spirit by Dervish
• That's The Spirit by James Keane
• The Back Door by Cherish The Ladies
• The Chieftains 1 by The Chieftains
• The Chieftains 5 by The Chieftains
• The High Notes by The High Notes
• The Kilmore Fancy by Catherine McEvoy And John McEvoy
• The Mad Skeleton by Fianna
• The Red Crow by Altan
• The Sligo Maid by Carmel Gunning
• The Starry Lane To Monaghan by Fintan Vallely
• The Thing Itself by Maeve Donnelly And Peadar O'Loughlin
• The Ways Of The World by Mary Custy And Eoin O'Neill
• The World Pipe Band Championships 2006 by Various Artists
• Time Of Change by The Boys In The Gap
• Toss The Fiddles by Various Artists
• Traditional Irish Fiddling From County Limerick by Martin Mulvihill With Mick Moloney
• Traditional Irish Flute Music by Fintan Vallely
• Traditional Irish Tunes Played On The Tin Whistle (1/2) by Geraldine Cotter
• Under The Moon by Martin Hayes
• Up Close by Kevin Burke
• When The World Was Wide by Trouble In The Kitchen
• Whistle Wizardry by Vinnie Kilduff
• With Complements by Patsy Reid
• Wooden Flute Obsession: Volume 2, Disc 2 by Various Artists

X: 1
T: Dan Breen's
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|:Bd|{ef}e2 dB ABAG|EA{B}AG{AB}A2 gf|{ef}e2 dB ABAG|EGGF G2:|
|:Bd|{ef}e2 ge edBd|eA (3AAA eABd|{ef}e2 ge edBA|(3B^cd ef g2:|

Dan Breen's

Learned from Noel Hill at his Irish Concertina School Midwest in Cincinnati, OH August 2002. Noel plays this with a heavily dotted rhythm, almost like a hornpipe.

# Posted on September 30th 2002 by pjmacd

Also "West Clare Reel"

I believe this shows up on Flook's Flatfish album as "West Clare Reel" as well. It's the second tune in the "Eb Reels" set.

Also, on the MadForTrad.com Whistle tutorial, with Brian Finnegan, it's the first tune he plays as his "performance" part of the "About the Tutor" section.

# Posted on October 6th 2002 by johner

Also very similar to the West Clare Reel in D minor as played by Martin Hayes on his cd Under the Moon.

# Posted on October 6th 2002 by Miss Lonelyhearts

Dan Breen's Reel

This is my favourite tune at the moment. What a simple, mighty reel! I learned a version of the tune in West Clare a couple of weeks ago and changed it a little referring to Catherine and John McEvoy's flute and fiddle duet playing. My version goes like this:

K: Ador
egdB A2AG|EA~A2 ABcd|e2dB ABAG|EGGF GABd:|
e2ge edBd|eA~A2 eA~A2|e2ge edBd|d2ef g2fg:|

There're numerous possibilities for variations. For example, we may play eBdB instead of egdB or e2dB just like Catherine and John do. I like their variation on the second bar of the second part: they play |ea~a2 ea~a2| when they repeat the second half of the tune.

# Posted on August 9th 2004 by slainte

West Clare Reel

Isn't "The West Clare" following "Dan Breen's" on Catherine and John's recording? Does anyone have the abcs for that tune?

# Posted on December 21st 2004 by Phantom Button

The West Clare

Hold on, it's on Maeve Donnelly's recording, "The Thing Itself." Does anyone have the abcs anyway?

# Posted on December 21st 2004 by Phantom Button

West Clares plural

There would appear to be more than 1 reel called "The West Clare". The tune by that name on the Donnelly/O'Loughlin recording is "A Fair Wind", which is closely related to "Rip The Calico".

# Posted on December 21st 2004 by Kenny

A Fair Wind

You mean that's the real name of that tune on Meave and Peadar's CD, Kenny? Do you have the abcs man?

# Posted on December 22nd 2004 by Phantom Button

A Fair Wind

I just found it in the tunes section, but I'm wondering is it Peadar's setting or not.

# Posted on December 22nd 2004 by Phantom Button

A Fair Wind

I'll try to check it out for you tonight ,Jack.

# Posted on December 22nd 2004 by Kenny

The/A Fair Wind

The reel played after “Dan Breen’s” which is listed as “The West Clare” reel is indeed the one I know as “A Fair Wind”. The sleeve notes to the Donnelly/O’Loughlin recording state that Seamus Ennis knew it as “A Fair Wind”, and it is also in one of Breandan Breathnach’s books by that name. In the comments to this tune as posted here, gian marco’s abcs are more the way I play it than the version in the “dots”. The same reel has also been posted as “The Fair Wind”, but in the key of “A”.

# Posted on December 23rd 2004 by Kenny

Dan Breen Set

Here's the link to the video clip of McEvoys playing the set: http://www.custysmusic.com/mall/CustysTraditionalMusicShop/catherine_and_john_mcevoy.htm

# Posted on January 22nd 2005 by slainte

Dan Breen Set

Great link, thanks for posting it!
Lesl

# Posted on February 12th 2005 by LH

Dervish "Spirit" - Kevin Burke's

This tune is also known as Kevin Burke's on Dervish's "Spirit" album. Here is a simplified transcription of their arrangement w/o any ornamentation:

X: 1
T:Kevin Burke's Reel
M:C|
L:1/8
R:Reel
K:ADor
|: egdB A2 AG | EA AG A2 Bd | egdB A2 AG | EGGF G2 Bd :|
|: e2 eg edBd | eA A2 AG Bd | e2 eg edBe |1 d2 ef g2 fg :|2 dg ed gb fg :|

# Posted on January 8th 2006 by John-N

"Dan Breen's" ~ back from the future...

Submitted (as a 'Gan Ainm') on June 16th 2006 by PaddyCmusic.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/5868

K: A Dorian
|: Bd |
~e2 dB ~A3 G | EAAG ~A2 Bd | ~e2 dB ~A3 G | EGGF ~G2 :|
|: Bd |
~e3 d edBd | eaag ea ~a2 | ~e3 d edBd | (3Bcd ef g2 :|

It resolves not on the final g2 of bar 8 of the B-part, but on either an e, the dominant of A Dorian, or on A... Classic would be to catch the e and then drop down to the A...

# Posted on June 16th 2006 by ceolachan

I like Ed Boyds guitar sound when going into this tune. I believe he's in DADGAD but not quite sure of capo positon. Someone has said capo 3.

# Posted on July 15th 2008 by JD-DHguitar

Dan Breen's on Nintendo DS

My version on the Nintendo DS:
http://www.soundlantern.com/UpdatedSoundPage.do?ToId=12246&Path=1501909102008113522.mp3

# Posted on September 10th 2008 by Pere

Kevin Burke has recorded this tune under 'The Shepherd's daughter' on Up Close (which has only a few bars in common w the version given at: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1313)

# Posted on July 15th 2009 by birlibirdie