These sets of Irish fiddle tunes are drawn from the repertoire of the long-running Ithaca, NY session led by the band Traonach.
Many of these tunes are common throughout the Irish-tune-playing world. Some of these sets are common practice in other places too; some of them really aren’t – i.e., they “break up” sets that are very common outside of Ithaca.
Jigs
Jerry’s Beaver Hat/The Lilting Fisherman
Willie Coleman’s/Rakes of Kildare/Shandon Bells
Tatter Jack Walsh/The Cook in the Kitchen
Garret Barry’s/Brian O’Lynn/The Humours of Ballyloughlin
The Rambling Pitchfork/The Geese in the Bog/Jimmy Ward’s Favorite
Banish Misfortune/The Lark in the Morning
The Frost is All Over/Haste to the Wedding/Bill Harte’s
Leg of the Duck/The Irishman’s Heart to the Ladies/The Blackthorn Stick
Jackie Roche’s Favorite/The Dusty Windowsill/The Mouse in the Mug
The Banks of Lough Gowna/The Boys of Tandragee/The Scotsman over the Border
The Humors of Ennistymon/Barrel Rafferty’s
The Haunted House/The Old Flail/Jackson’s
Old Hag You Have Killed Me/Fraher’s
Tobin’s Favorite/The Rose in the Heather/The Cliffs of Moher
The Blarney Pilgrim/The Battering Ram/The Mooncoin
The Fairhaired Boy/Old Man Dillon’s/Sliabh Russell
The Nightingale/The Maid in the Meadow/Sauders’
The Roaring Barmaid/Sliabh Russell/Cathal McConnell’s
Up Sligo/The Trip to Sligo/The Tar Road to Sligo
Reels
The Sally Gardens/The Silver Spear/The Merry Blacksmith
The Green Fields of Rossbeigh/The Glen of Aherlow
Castle Kelley/Humours of Ballyconnell
Jackie Coleman/The Earl’s Chair/Toss the Feathers (Em)
The Mountain Road/Drowsy Maggie/The Morning Dew
The Killarney Boys of Pleasure/Pigeon on a Gate/The Piper’s Despair
Tommy Coen’s Memories/Love at the Endings/The Cup of Tea
Brendan Coffey’s/The Virginia Reel
Poor But Happy at 53/The Musical Priest/The Scholar
The Hare’s Paw/The Otter’s Holt/The Eel in the Sink (The Blackthorn)
Ships are Sailing/The Longford Collector/The Old Copper Plate
Farewell to Erin/The Foxhunter’s (in A)
Paddy Fahey’s (Dm)/The Lads of Laois/Farrel O’Gara
The Tarbolton/Lucy Campbell’s
The Ashplant (D)/Paddy Taylor’s/The Torn Jacket
The Ashplant (Em)/Dunmore Lasses
Drag Her Round the Road/Tom’s Tune
Tuttle’s/Julia Delaney
Glen Allen/Lady Anne Montgomery/The Gravel Walks
Imelda Roland’s/Sheehan’s/The Abbey Reel
Bonnie Kate/The Mason’s Apron/The Boys of the Lough/The Earl of Leinster
The Jug of Punch/The Concert Reel
Sporting Paddy/The Old Bush
Macintosh John/Christmas Eve/The Congress Reel
The Doon Reel/The Knotted Cord/The High Reel
Farewell to Ireland/Miss McLeod’s/The Drunken Landlady
The Humours of Tulla/The Dublin Reel (G)/Jenny’s Chickens
The Wind that Shakes the Barley/Rolling in the Ryegrass/Green Grow the Rushes
The Four Courts/Creig’s Pipes/The Jolly Tinker
My Love is in America/The Green Fields of America/The Star of Munster
The Maid Behind the Bar/The Wise Maid/The Sligo Maid
Speed the Plow (D)/The Banshee/Cooley’s
The Trip to Durrow/The Peeler’s Jacket
The Yellow Tinker/The Golden Keyboard/Father Kelly’s
Credits
Tim Ball compiled this list in 2021 based on recollections from playing at the session weekly over the period from 2010-2020. Many others contributed recollections as well, most particularly John Wobus.
Regulars at the session during this time include members of Traonach – Mark Bickford, Scott Whitham, Ed McGowan, Cole Gruberth, Tim Ball, and Harry Lawless – as well as John Wobus, Michael Roddy, Ellie Goud, Sarah Gerk, Jennifer DeLapp-Birkett, Deb Justice, Eamon Kelly, and many others.
Many of these sets go back much farther than 2010 – thanks are also due to others from times past such as John Byrne, Joel Cowan, Chris Ryan, Pat Reynolds, Kara Doyle, Lousia Bennion, and Brenna O’Toole.