The Bucks of Oranmore

Reel, D, traditional Irish
Also known as: Bocannaí Uaráin Mhóir; The Hearty Bucks of Oranmore

The Bucks of Oranmore (Image of 3 young men dancing on an wooden-plank dance floor with an ocean bay and setting sun in the background. A fourth young man plays fiddle.) Illustration copyright 2025 Jonathan Lay. trailajams.org

Bold, fast, and famously long, The Bucks of Oranmore is loved for its power — a tune that builds and builds until the whole room is energized.

The Bucks of Oranmore is one of the great powerhouse reels of Irish traditional music — a five-part, 40-bar epic that players often save for the end of the night. It isn’t a tune you learn for its sweetness or charm, but for its energy. Each part lifts the music higher, as if shifting gears through a series of built-in crescendos, until the tune becomes its own celebration. In sessions, Bucks is a rite-of-passage tune: a stamina test, a shared cultural moment, and a joyful exclamation point that brings the room together. It’s long, demanding, and exhilarating — exactly why so many musicians love it.

Oranmore is a coastal village just east of Galway City. From the late 17th century well into the early 20th, it was a lively crossroads of fairs, markets, and social gatherings—the kind of place where spirited young men made their reputations through vigorous step dancing and music. A title like “The Bucks of Oranmore” celebrates these bold dancers and the vibrant local culture that shaped the tune. Today, Oranmore is known for its strong musical heritage, Oranmore Castle, and its scenic place on Galway Bay.

Recordings

Playlist – TrailJams Listening Series

Listen to a curated playlist (virtual album) of recordings of The Bucks of Oranmore. Absorb the tune by hearing it in multiple settings and arrangements. Listen, loop, and learn.

The Bucks of Oranmore: Listen or watch on YouTube

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 is the basic tune without ornamentation.

Sheet music with chords for The Bucks of Ornamore, traditional Irish reel in D major. Arrangement by Jonathan Lay. trailjams.org

Play-Along Tracks

Very slow tempo 45bpm
Slow tempo 65bpm
Moderate tempo 85bpm

Sets

Examples of sets that include this tune.

  • King of the Pipers (jig) / Bucks of Oranmore
  • Garrett Barry’s (jig) / Bucks of Oranmore
  • Hunter’s House / Bucks of Oranmore

References and Resources

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