The Bank of Ireland
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"The Bank of Ireland", in Gaelic "Bannc na h-Éireann" also known as<br> "The First Day in Ireland", "The Last Day in Ireland" or "Follow Me Down to Carlow"<br> is an Irish reel. A Dorian or Mixolydian ('A' part) & D Major ('B' part).<br> The parts are played AB (Miller), AA'B (O'Neill/1850, 1001 & 1915) or<br> AABB (Harker/Rafferty, Mallinson, O'Neill/Krassen, Taylor).<br> The building, built between 1729 and 1787, was originally designed as Ireland’s<br> Parliament Building. It housed both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.<br> The House of Commons portion was destroyed by fire in 1792.<br> There are no windows in this building due to the window tax that was enforced<br> throughout Britain and Ireland in the 1700s. It was sold to the Bank of Ireland in<br> 1803 for £40,000 under the condition that it should not be used for political assemblies. <br> The tune was recorded in the 1924 by flute player Tom Morrision with fiddler Tom Higgins and<br> melodeon player P.J. Conlon. Although the 'c' note is usually played natural in the tune,<br> the melodeon does not have a 'c' natural note in the scale, necessitating the players to<br> either play the note as a 'c sharp' or modulating to a relative minor key. Researcher<br> Conor Ward found a version very close to that printed by O'Neill under the title<br> "Follow Me Down to Carlow". Ward also found another manuscript version as "The First Day in<br> Ireland" in the c. 1883 copybook of Gortletteragh, Co. Leitrim, musician Stephen Grier.<br> It was printed in Cotter's Traditional Irish Tin Whistle Tutor (1989),<br> Harker's 300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty (2005),<br> Mallinson's 100 Essential (1995),<br> Miller & Perron's Irish Traditional Fiddle Music Vol. 1 (1977) and<br> Irish Traditional Fiddle Music 2nd Edition (2006),<br> O'Neill's O'Neill's Irish Music (1915),<br> Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems (1907) and<br> Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies (1903),<br> Krassen's O'Neill's Music of Ireland (1976) and<br> Taylor's Through the Half-Door (1992).<br> It was recorded by Tommy Peoples (78 RPM),<br> Johnny McGreevy and Pat McGovern (1935) (78 RPM),<br> Michael Grogan on From Galway to Dublin (1992. Reissue of 1942 original) and<br> Wild Asparagus on Tone Roads (1990).<br>
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