Trip to Durrow

Reel, D, Irish, Attributed to Dan Cleary (1918-2004)

This reel is named for the Irish village of Durrow, and is attributed to Dan Cleary (1918-2004). The tune is popular in Irish tune sessions, and has also found its way into the American old-time and contra dance repertoires. The village of Durrow is in County Laois, in the southeast part of Ireland. One way to get to Durrow — one trip to Durrow — is to travel from the Celtic Sea, up the River Nore, and then to the River Erkina. Durrow is located close to the confluence of those two rivers.

The tune has an unusual form: it has three parts, A, B, and C, each 8 measures long. The first part (part A) repeats, then the B and C parts are played and repeated. So the overall form of the tune is AABCBC.

Recordings

• Audio – Comhaltas: Trip to Durrow – session recording, from the album Foinn Seisiún Volume 2
• Video – Shaskeen: Shaskeen / The Piper’s Despair / The Trip to Durrow – from the album CELTSITTOLKE Vol.6. (The Trip to Durrow starts at time 3:00 in this recording.)
• Video – Tunes from Doolin (Charles Monod): The Trip To Durrow (Reel) | Tunes From Doolin | Irish Music – solo concertina

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.

• Trip to Durrow / Sweeney’s Buttermilk
• Trip to Durrow / The Wise Maid
• Trip to Durrow / The Wise Maid / The Humours of Tulla
• Trip to Durrow / The Wise Maid / The Old Copperplate
• The Trip To Durrow / The Scholar

References and Resources

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

• More Recordings
  • Audio – John Weed and Stuart Mason: Trip to Durrow – played slowly on fiddle with guitar. From the album Slow & Easy Volume 2 (San Luis Obispo, California)
  • Video – Bruce Molsky: The Trip to Durrow – fiddle with rhythm guitar, in American old-time style. From the album Warring Cats.
  • Video – The Celtic Fiddle Festival: Trip to Durrow / The Abbey Reel / The Maid Behind the Bar (Live) – Kevin Burke, Christian Lemaítre, André Brunet, Nicolas Quémener. From the album Live in Brittany. Played in the key of G.
  • Video – Star of Munster Ceili Band plays The Trip to Durrow for set dance – Recorded at the Kilfenora Traditional Music Festival, April 2024, in Kelfenora, County Clare, Ireland. The tune is played twice-through to accompany the set dance “Kilfenora”. (The tune and dance start at time 3:15 in the video.) The tempo is about 122 beats per minute, with 2 beats per measure.
• Books
  • Book – John Weed and Stuart Mason: Slow & Easy Volumes 1 and 2
  • Book & Audio – Dave Mallinson: 100 Essential Irish Session Tunes
  • Book – The Portland Collection, Volume 1 – Contra Dance Music in the Pacific Northwest. By Susan Songer with Clyde Curley.
  • Book – Shaskeen: Through the Half Door – a collection of Irish traditional dance session tunes, transcribed from the playing of the band Shaskeen. Edited by David J. Taylor.
• Lessons
  • Lesson – Online Academy of Irish Music: Road to Durrow (Trip to Durrow) – concertina lesson by Edel Fox, with video, downloadable sheet music and audio tracks. Based on the playing of Noel Hill. (Requires subscription to OAIM)
  • Lesson – whistletutor: Trip to Durrow [reel] Tin Whistle Lesson on Lir silver D whistle – video lesson
• Additional Resources
  • Webpage – The Traditional Tune Archive: Trip to Durrow (The) – archival information and sheet music
  • Article – Wikipedia: Durrow, County Laois