Someone’s come to IGTF looking for a translation for the name of this reel. Unfortunately, the Irish as it stands doesn’t make much sense. I’m trying to learn if it goes by another name, or if anyone’s ever heard a purported translation of the title, so we can help her figure out what it’s supposed to be.
Here’s the tune…do any of you recognize it?
Redwolf
This site http://www.irishtune.info/tune/2693/ identifies it as a hornpipe-which is what it looks like with those triplets-and gives The Sands as an alternative title.
http://www.irishtune.info/tune/2693/
Yes, it’s a hornpipe, and the notation provided is garbage.
djm
Why is it garbage? 
Doesn’t really matter, frankly, as what I’m looking for is some clue as to the Irish name (which really is rather a mess), not info on how to play it.
Redwolf
The same tune is on James Kelly’s eponymous CD, but he gives it the name An Tí is a Rian, which would be something like The Line of the Path. Apparently Dennis Murphy gave this to Breathnach, where it appears as An Trí is a Rian. Could it be we are chasing after a typo originally by Breathnach?
Perhaps “garbage” is too strong. Try this:
X:1
T:An Tí is a Rian
R:Hornpipe
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=180
K:G
BA !segno! |: G2 BG EFGA | BcBA BcBA | GABG EFGB | (3ABA (3GEF DcBA |
G2 BG EFGA | Bdef gafg | ecAG FAdc |1 (3BAG (3AGF G2 (3DEF :|2 (3BAG (3AGF G2 ||
|: Bc | d3 f g3 e | d3 B G2 AB | c2 ec (3BcB dB | (3ABA (3GEF DcBA |
G2 BG EFGA | Bdef gafg | ecAG FAdc |1 (3BAG (3AGF G2 
(3BAG (3AGF G2 (3DEF !D.S.! ||
djm
The “is” is a contraction of “agus,” so it’s “something and something.” Someone suggested that “trí” might have been a mistake for “triúr,” which is three people/a trio. “A” in this construction is going to be his/her/their. So it could be “the three and their path.”
Redwolf