The Connaughtman’s Rambles

Jig, D, Irish Traditional
TrailJams Tune of the Week for June 24, 2021; May 7, 2023, July 25, 2025

A traditional Irish jig. Connaught is a province of Ireland, and was a kingdom in ancient times. To ramble means to take a walking tour, and in Ireland it often means to go visit your neighbors.

The province of Connaught is composed of the counties Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, and Sligo. The ancient kingdom is named for the descendants of Conn — “Conn of the Hundred Battles” — the High King of Ireland. To be a Connaughtman, as in the tune’s title, is to be a man of Connaught.

Recordings

• Audio – Ewen Baker: Connaughtman’s Rambles​/​The Rakes Of Kildare​/​Calliope House – from the album The Inch Before the Saw.
• Video – Hooley: The Connaughtman’s Rambles/The Mug Of Brown Ale/Willie Coleman from the album Cuts from the Turf.
• Video – Duncan Cameron Music: Connaughtman’s Rambles

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.

• Battering Ram Jig Set: I Buried My Wife and Danced on her Grave / The Battering Ram / The Connaughtman’s Rambles
• Munster Buttermilk Jig Set: Munster Buttermilk (G) / The Mug of Brown Ale (A Dorian) / The Connaughtman’s Rambles (D)
• Tatter Jack Walsh / The Connaughtman’s Rambles
• Connaughtman’s Rambles (D) / Mug of Brown Ale (A Dorian)  / Kesh Jig (G)
• Connaughtman’s Rambles / Mug Of Brown Ale / Willie Coleman
• Blarney Pilgrim / Behind the Haystack / Connaughtman’s Rambles
• Blarney Pilgrim / Kesh Jig / Connaughtman’s Rambles

References and Resources

• More Recordings
  • Audio: John Weed and Stuart Mason: The Connaughtman’s Rambles – played slowly on fiddle with guitar backing. From the album Slow & Easy Volume 2.
• Books
  • Book – Dave Mallinson: 100 Essential Irish Session Tunes (Mally Productions). With accompanying audio tracks.
  • Book – Gary Coover: 75 Irish Session Tunes for Anglo Concertina (Rollston Press).
• Lessons
  • Lesson – Shannon Heaton: Learning Irish Flute – Tune of the Month with Shannon Heaton – Connaughtman’s Rambles [Jig] – taught phrase by phrase on flute
  • Lesson – Baron Collins Hill (MandoLessons): The Connaughtman’s Rambles – mandolin tutorial with video, sheet music, and play-along tracks
• Additional Resources
  • Webpage – The Session: The Connaughtman’s Rambles – crowdsourced sheet music, comments and other information