Does anyone have a written version of the traditional slow air “Donal(d) Og”? I’ve heard a recording of Gordon Duncan playin it on the Highland Pipes, but cant find it, eg. at thesession.org.
Cheers,
Philipp
Phillip,
Apparently it’s available in this book, sorry I couldn’t be more help.
See tompipes’ last post in the thread posted below … looks like he might be teaching Donal Og in his Slow Airs class at the St. Louis Tionol this weekend, so he might be the guy you want to butter up! 
That’s a reprint of Tomas O’Canainn’s book, innit?
I’ve some video of the early Chieftains playing this - dunno if it’s on one of their records. Never found a sean-nos recording of it, had to record the 2005 competitions from RTE to get that. Beautiful song.
I can’t find the O Canain book right now (I can’t find anything in this mess! Why doesn’t someone pick up after themselves?) but here is the version in Ceolta Gael:
X:1
T:Dónal Óg
R:Slow Air
M:9/8
Q: 1/4=100
L:1/8
K:C
CD | E2 G (G A3/2) A/2 (G E) C | E2 D (C3 C) z z |!
(C E) G A3 B2 A | (G E) D E (E2 E) z D |!
C E G c3 d2 c | A G E G2 (E/2 D/2) HE2 (3G/2 A/2 B/2 |!
c3 B (A/2 B/2) HG A (G/2 E/2) C | E2 D (C3 C) ||
Is a Dónal óig, má théir taht farraige
beir mé féin leat is ná déan dearmad,
beidh agat féirín lá aonaigh is margaidh
agus iníon rí Gréige mar chéile leapa agat.
etc.
djm
Kevin rietmann wrote:
That’s a reprint of Tomas O’Canainn’s book, innit?
Kevin, is this the one you’re talking about?
Yeah. Thought they were the same book but the Best Slow Airs has stuff like Oft In The Stilly Night that Tomas…didn’t see the need for? Still a lot of overlap.
This piece has many versions with many or fewer verses. And there are many melodies for it. Maighread (agus Triona) Ní Dhomhnail does a lovely version of this on their recording Idir na Dá Sholas (Between the Two Lights). The first version I heard of this piece was more sean nós-y, sung by the late Caitlin Maude and was featured on the compilation Croch Suas É.
T
Neil Mulligan has a very good version on his CD An Tobar Gle, which I play from adapting the version from The Slow Airs of Ireland of Tomas O’Cannain.