The Salamanca

Reel, D, Traditional Irish
TrailJams Tune of the Week: May 19, 2024; November 1, 2026

This traditional Irish reel gets its name from the ancient Spanish city of Salamanca. A favorite in session playing, it’s a buoyant tune that gives a nice lift to a set. The Bothy Band popularized it in the set The Salamanca / The Banshee / The Sailor’s Bonnet on their debut album, 1975.

The Battle of Salamanca – Why a Spanish name for an Irish tune? The tune’s title refers to the 1812 Battle of Salamanca, fought between Wellington’s Allied army and French forces, as noted in Breandán Breathnach’s Ceol Rince na hÉireann (Dance Music of Ireland), Volume II. In that battle, Wellington’s British, Portuguese, and Spanish army decisively defeated Napoleon’s French forces, helping Spain’s struggle against French occupation. Irish soldiers served on both sides of the wider war.

The Illustration features a photograph of The New Cathedral (Catedral Nueva), a landmark of Salamanca, Spain.

Recordings

• Video – The Bothy Band: The Salamanca / The Banshee / The Sailor’s Bonnet – from the album 1975.
• Audio – Comhaltas: Salamanca – session recording from the album Foinn Seisiún Volume 1
• Video – Pat Barton Accordion: Irish Reel: The Salamanca on button accordion – played on d/d# diatonic button accordion.

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 of the tune here is simplified, based on The Bothy Band’s recording of the tune on their 1975 album.

Sets

Examples of sets that include this tune.

• Salamanca Reel Set: The Salamanca (D) / The Banshee (G) / The Sailor’s Bonnet (D)
• Salamanca Providence Reel Set: The Salamanca (D) / The Providence Reel (D)
• The Salamanca / Over the Moor to Maggie / Chicago Reel
• The Salamanca / The Banshee / The Sailor’s Bonnet
• The Wise Maid / The Sally Gardens / The Salamanca
• The Salamanca / The Sally Gardens
• The Salamanca / The Merry Blacksmith
• The Salamanca / The Providence
• The Salamanca / The Killarney Boys of Pleasure / The Providence

References and Resources

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

• More Recordings
  • Video – Gadan: Salamanca reel/Julia Delaney/Frank’s Reel – live performance
  • Audio – Sugar Beat: The Salamanca Reel​/​Paddy on the Turnpike​/​The Tartar Frigate – from the album Wait ’til You Hear This One! (Sugar Beat is Elke Baker, Susan Brandt, Marc Glickman. Maryland, USA.)
  • Audio – Michael Gallagher: The Colliers / The Salamanca – Played on uilleann pipes; recorded in New York City in the 1920’s. (Michael Gallagher, 1886 – 1971. Irish Traditional Music Archive.)
  • Video – Jim McKillop & Mary Mulholland: The Salamanca / Providence – from the album The Wind That Shakes The Barley
• Books
  • Book – Foinn Seisiún, Volume 1 — Published by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. 
  • Book – Chris Smith: Celtic Backup for All Instrumentalists
• Lessons
  • Lesson – Kevin Burke (Fiddlevideo): The Salamanca (Reel) – fiddle tutorial, with downloadable sheet music and audio. (Full lesson requires subscription to Fiddlevideo.)
  • Lesson – Chris Haigh (The Fiddle Channel): Salamanca (Fiddle lesson) – fiddle tutorial video includes playing the tune set: The Salamanca / The Banshee / The Sailor’s Bonnet.
  • Lesson – Tergal14 Mandolin: Mandolin lesson. The Salamanca – mandolin lesson video with tab in the video
  • Lesson – Ian Walsh (OnlineLessonVideos): 3 Irish Reels – for Fiddle – Salamanca, The Banshee, The Sailor’s Bonnet – fiddle lesson sample video. Full lesson available for purchase.
• Additional Resources
  • Web page – The Session: The Salamanca Reel – crowdsourced sheet music, comments, and other information
  • Web page – Breandán Breathnach: Notes to Ceol Rince na hÉireann, Volume II — English translation by Paul de Grae, hosted on Nigel Gatherer’s website. See entry 209, “Salamanca.”