The Boys of Bluehill

Hornpipe, D, Traditional Irish
Also known as: The Boys of Blue Hill

The Boys of Bluehill (or Blue Hill) is a cheerful tune that is one of the most popularly played traditional Irish hornpipes.

Recordings

• Video – Comhaltas: The Boys of Bluehill – session recording. From the album Foinn Seisiún Volume 1.
• Video – Tunes from Doolin (Charles Monod): The Boys of Bluehill (Hornpipe) | Irish Music Tunes on Concertina – with link to ABC and sheet music.
• Video – Micho Russell: The Boys of Bluehill, hornpipe – played on solo tin whistle. From the album Ireland’s Whistling Ambassador.

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.

• Bluehill Rights Hornpipe Set: The Boys of Bluehill / (D) The Rights of Man (Em)
• The Boys of Bluehill / Harvest Home
• The Good Natured Man / The Boys of Bluehill
• The Boys of Bluehill / Dunphy’s Hornpipe

References and Resources

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

• More Recordings
  • Audio – John Weed and Stuart Mason: The Boys of Bluehill – played slowly on fiddle with guitar. From the album Slow & Easy Volume 1 (San Luis Obispo, California)
  • Video – Frankie Gavin plays The Boys of Bluehill & Dunphy’s Hornpipe – played on fiddle (not tuned to concert pitch)
  • Video – Vinnie Kilduff: The Galway Hornpipe/The Boys Of Bluehill (Hornpipes) – played on tin whistle. From the album The Boys from the Blue Hill.
• Books
  • Book – John Weed and Stuart Mason: Slow & Easy Volumes 1 and 2
  • Book & Audio – Matt & Shannon Heaton: In Harmony 
  • Book – Comhaltas: Foinn Seisiún, Volume 1 — Published by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.
• Lessons
  • Lesson – Baron Collins Hill (Mandolessons): The Boys of Bluehill – mandolin lesson video with with downloadable sheet music and audio tracks.
  • Lesson – Shannon Heaton: Boys of Bluehill [Hornpipe] – Tune of the Month – flute lesson, taught phrase-by-phrase
  • Lesson – Liz Faiella: How to play The Boys of Blue Hill – Fiddle Lesson — detailed video lesson with basic tune and variations
  • Lesson – Chris Haigh (The Fiddle Channel) – Boys of Blue Hill (fiddle lesson) – video lesson with sheet music in video
  • Lesson – Kevin Burke (Fiddlevideo): The Boys Of Bluehill (Reel): Trad Irish Fiddle Lesson – partial lesson. (Full lesson requires a subscription to Fiddlevideo.)
  • Lessons – Online Academy of Irish Music – Boys of Bluehill taught for button accordion, flute, uilleann pipes, and guitar (accompaniment). (Requires subscription to Online Academy of Irish Music.)