Sliabh Russell

Jig, A Dorian, traditional Irish
Also know as: Sleive Russell

This traditional Irish jig is named for a landmark mountain in the northern part of Ireland. (The tune name is pronounced like “sleeve rustle.”)

The mountain, Slieve Rushen or Slieve Russell, straddles the border between County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland and County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. It’s name derives from the Irish Sliabh Ros-in, which means “mountain of the little wood.” [Wikipedia]

Recordings

• Audio – McCormick & Vanorny: Sliabh Russell / Fraher’s Jig / Jim Ward’s Favorite – from the album In the Tap Room (Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA)
• Video – Lunasa: The Butlers Of Glen Avenue/Sliabh Russell/Cathal McConnell’s – from the album Otherworld. (Sliabh Russel starts at time 1:30 in this recording.)
• Video – William Coulter & Friends: Sliabh Russel / Come West Along The Road – from the album Celtic Sessions (Alasdair Fraser, Paul Machlis, Barry Phillips, Martin Hayes, Lars Johannesson, Todd Denman, Theo Paige, Seamus Egan, Chris Caswell, Neal Hellman, Shelley Phillips, William Coulter)

Sheet Music

As always for traditional tunes, the musical notation and chords do not indicate the “right” way to play the tune, but are a useful reference.

Sets

Examples of sets that include this tune.

• Tar & Buttermilk Jig Set: Tar Road to Sligo / Sliabh Russell / Munster Buttermilk
• Top of Cork Road (Father O’Flynn) / Sliabh Russell / The Hag with the Money
• Sliabh Russell / Fraher’s Jig / Jim Ward’s Favorite
• Sliabh Russell / Come West along the Road

References and Resources

For those who want to dig deeper, here are some other resources.

• More Recordings
  • Video – Patrick Madden and Friends: Top of Cork Road or Father O’Flynn – Sliabh Russell – The Hag with the Money From the album Sounds of St Andrews. (Sliabh Russell starts at time 1:30 in this recording. Sliabh Russell starts at time 1:08 in this recording.)
  • Video – Natalie Padilla, Blayne Chastain & Peter Romero: Jigs: Tar Road to Sligo / Sliabh Russell / Munster Buttermilk – from the album Fiddle and Flute : Irish Traditional Music. (Note: the tunes in this recording are pitched a semitone higher than standard tuning.)
  • Video – Mary Bergin: Sliabh Russell / Kitty’s Rambles / Pádraig O’Keefe’s – from the album Feadóga Stáin 2
  • Video – Shane Farrell: Sliabh Russell Jig – solo tenor banjo
  • Video – Charles Monod (Tunes from Doolin): Sliabh Russell (Jig) | Irish Music Tunes on Concertina – solo concertina
• Books
  • Book – CCE Kingston, Harp of Tara: Kingston Irish Slow Session Tune Book – free downloadable book (PDF file)
  • Book & Audio – Stephen Ducke: Irish Music – 400 Traditional Tunes
  • Book & audio – Grey Larsen: 300 Gems of Irish Music for All Instruments
• Lessons
  • Lesson – Shannon Heaton: Sliabh Russell [Jig in A Min] – Tune of the Month with Shannon Heaton – video lesson taught phrase-by-phrase by Shannon Heaton (flute) and Matt Heaton (guitar). With attention to guitar chord choices, getting away from basic full chords that “crowd the tune”
• Additional Resources
  • Article – Jonathan Lay (TrailJams): Dorian, Mixolydian, Oh My: Modes in a Nutshell
  • Article – Wikipedia: Slieve Rushen – a brief article about the mountain for which the tune Sliabh Russell is named
  • Web page – The Session: Sliabh Russell (jig) – crowdsourced sheet music, comments and more
  • Web page – irishtune.info: Sliabh Russell – archival information about the tune, curated by Alan Ng