The Battle of Aughrim

March, A Dorian, traditional Irish
Also known as: After the Battle of Aughrim; Return From The Battle Of Aughrim

This traditional Irish march can be played slowly or with a strong stride. It gets its name from a momentous battle that took place in Ireland in 1691 between the opposing forces of William III and James II. The village of Aughrim, associated with the battle, is in Ireland’s County Galway.

Recordings

• Video – Brenda Scearcy: The Battle of Aughrim / Napoleon Crossing the Alps (Marches) – from the album The Lost Art (Portland, Oregon, 2017)
• Video – Aughrim Slopes Céilí Band: Battle of Aughrim – from the album Reunion Concert
• Video – Ceol Sona: The Battle of Aughrim – from the album Celtic Winds

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. The version here comes from several sources, with particular acknowledgement to David Brody’s transcription in The Fiddler’s Fakebook.

Sets

Examples of sets that include this tune.

• Aughrim March Set: The Wren (Em) / The Battle of Aughrim (March, A Dorian)
• The Battle of Aughrim / Bonaparte Crossing The Alps (A Mixolydian)
• The Battle of Aughrim / Campbell’s Farewell To Red Gap (A Mixolydian)

References and Resources

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

• More Recordings
  • Video – Paul Young: Battle of Aughrim (march, Irish tune) BC button accordion
  • Audio – Stephen Ducke: The Battle of Aughrim (March) – played on tin whistle. From the book Irish Music – 400 Traditional Tunes.
  • Video – Dulahan Ireland: The Battle of Aughrim March – played on fiddle and tenor banjo
  • Video – Micho Russell: The Boyne Water / The Battle of Aughrim (Marches) – played on tin whistle. From the album Rarities & Old Favorites 1949–1993: Tin Whistle, Flute & Songs from North Clare & Beyond
  • Video – The Tulla Ceili Band: The Battle Of Aughrim (March) – from the album A Celebration of 50 Years
  • Video – Cherish The Ladies: The Battle of Aughrim / The Star above the Garter – from the album Threads Of Time
• Books
  • Book – David Brody: The Fiddler’s Fakebook 
  • Book & audio – Irish Music – 400 Traditional Tunes by Stephen Ducke – audio tracks are played on tin whistle
  • Book & audio – Brent Robitaille: Celtic World Collection – Mandolin – audio tracks are played on mandolin with guitar accompaniment
• Lessons
  • Lesson – Brent Robitaille: Mandolin – Violin – After the Battle of Aughrim Sheet Music Tablature Chords – video of the tune played on mandolin with guitar accompaniment. Sheet music displayed in video. Audio is from the book Celtic World Collection – Mandolin by Brent Robitaille.
• Additional Resources
  • Article – Jonathan Lay (TrailJams): Dorian, Mixolydian, Oh My: Modes in a Nutshell
  • Webpage – irishtune.info: Battle of Aughrim – archival information on the tune, curated by Alan Ng
  • Webpage – The Session: After the Battle of Aughrim – crowdsourced sheet music, notes, and more
  • Museum – Battle of Aughrim Visitor Centre – located in the village of Aughrim
  • Article – Wikipedia: Battle of Aughrim
  • Article – Wikipedia: Aughrim, County Galway