I have finally gotten around to learning the tune Blarney Pilgrim which I have always liked hearing played but for the life of me I never paid much attention to the accompanying tune(s) that might be played with it.
So, I’m fishing for your suggestions and thoughts on what might be played with it. I play both whistle and flute.
Thank you
MarkB
Anything.
Battering Ram used to work for me though.
We’ve always played it slowly because we were influenced by the version on the Irvine/Brady CD. We play it with “Out On The Ocean” (first), also slow of course. When we did it this way on our CD we got slated for being “plodding!”
If you play “Blarney Pilgrim” with an accompanist (shush now, pure droppers 
), get him/her to start and finish the accompaniment with D chords instead of G. Magic!
As long as you’re playing chestnuts, stick it with kesh 
Our session always does “Banish into Blarney” - Thats Banish Misfortune into Blarney Pilgrim. Works nice.
I second the Battering ram, although there are any number of tunes you could put after, just find something that fits with the key change, and that you like playing.
Its kinda funny of the suggestions here, because I actually like to put all of them into one set. (when playing for my own enjoyment) Out on the ocea, battering, blarney, then kesh. Nice easy set that flows well from one tune to another.
My standard is Banish, Morrison’s, Blarney.
Thank you all! Out on the Ocean fits well, I played them to together and they work but I played OOtO with a little more bounce to it Steve (taking my hint from you) and liked how it fitted. Morrison’s, The Kesh all worked well also, but I use those for another set I play at this moment, not that I write anything in stone. The Battering Ram I don’t know----yet! Will add it to the neverending list of tunes I should learn.
Thank all again!
MarkB
The Battering Ram you must learn, or the fate of plummeting like an arrow to ITM purgatory will be yours.
Good to see another man of taste on the board!
Steve
Why Nano? Is there something special about the Battering Ram that I should know about? Will it admit me into a secret society or somethin’?
Anyways I’ve got the MP3 for it, will get to work on it.
Thanks again!
Mark
I’ve yet to learn the Battering Ram too. Join the inferiority complex club!
Steve
A mighty tune, one of the first I ever got to know, a mighty tune none the less
Slan,
D.
Is it true that the battering ram referred to by the tune’s name is the one used by English landlords and their lackeys to beat down the doors of starving peasants in the great famine? I read this somewhere - that it was a rare example of an Irish tune name with _un_happy associations.
Nah. It’s a damn fine jig, though. Isn’t that reason enough? 
I’m told the same. So odd that the tune itself is such a happy one.
A friend sent me a good MP3 recording of it…I like it and will definitely learn it. Thanks all.
As side thought, I love jigs almost better than other dance tune types, just love the bounce/swing what ever of them.
MarkB
LOVE that tune. We play it after “Taither Jack Walsh.”
We play Blarney Pilgrim and go into Lark in the Morning. It’s fun for a quick time-pick-me-up. The transition requires a little work, though.
There’s a fingerstyle guitar player around here who, like doogieman’s group, plays Banish Misfortune/Blarney Pilgrim, and it’s marvellous.
I’m in my office at this moment, with the Battering Ram playing on a loop I created in Slowdowner and playing on my shuffle…Love the tune! Starting to whistle it now, so it won’t be long now until it starts coming to the fingers!
Banish Misfortune is also a good jig I like.
MarkB
Here’s a link to the Battering Ram on The Session:
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/382
Listen to Sligo musician and singer Colm O’Donnell play this tune: http://www.bogfire.com/music_cd_mp3s/track04.mp3
Good stuff!!