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Taught/practised on:
FATHER CONNELLY'S JIG
(J4x64)
John Drewry Donside Book
1- 8
1s+2s Set+Rotate : -
` Set, rotate singly & dance on 1 place clockwise, change places RH
on sides & dance on 1 place to own sides (1s in 2
nd
place)
9-16
1s dance ½ diagonal R&L with 1
st
corners while 2
nd
corners set &
change places diagonally RH, 1s dance ½ reels of 3 on opposite sides
17-24
1s dance ½ diagonal R&L with 3
rd
corner while 1
st
corner persons set
& change places diagonally, 1s dance ½ reels of 3 on own sides
25-32
1s dance reels of 3 across Lady with 2s & Man with 3s
33-40
1s cross down between 3s, 1L casts up round 3M & 1M casts down
round 4L, 1s change places LH in centre & cast to 3
rd
place own sides
41-56
3s+1s+4s (bottom 3 couples) repeat bars 9-24
57-64
All (or bottom 3 couples only) circle 8(6)H round & back
Note: Because 1s end in 3rd place, a progression sometimes used is:
1 - 8
Whilst 1s+2s Set+Rotate, 3rd & 4th positions also Set+Rotate, getting
the original 1st couple to the bottom. However if this is used, then
the 4s, becoming 3s, are immediately involved from bar 9 onwards
and so need to be ready to take part.
John Mason of Troon (Scottish Fiddle Orchestra) wrote the tune “Father Connelly’s Jig”. The dance was devised
in 1990 and published in the Donside Book, which also contains The Dancing Master.
Apparently John Drewry was asked to devise a dance to fit the music and was struggling to get something to fit.
He had already devised two 32 bar dances, using the same Bars 9-24 movement, and so he simply put the two
dances together to make a 64 bar dance.
This would explain why 1
st
couple end in 3
rd
place (and have to step down) in a 4 couple dance instead of a more
normal progression.