Jig Thursday - Down the Back Lane (D Mix, played in Eb)

This was our "Jig Thursday" selection from March 28, 2024. "Down the Back Lane" is another Sliabh Luachra gem. It’s an old one, apparently. George Petrie collected three versions of it in his 1855 “Collection of the Ancient Music of Ireland.” (No names, #964-6). Canon James Goodman named it “Boring “the Leather” in his mid-19th century manuscripts. And you can find this melody in O'Neill's publication four times with different names, though the key signatures and endings are slightly different in each.
We associate the tune with piper Willie Clancy from West Clare (b. 1918) and flute hero Mike Rafferty from Galway played this one. Shannon included it on her Blue Dress CD. Here we played it up a half step, to end March on a high(er) note.
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We started this 'series' on a diff social media platform. We wanted to share a few of our favorite tunes, and record them in a minute (so we could share the whole thing). It's such a small little project. But it's been fun to blast through a few of our very favorite jigs. We're putting the vids up on YT, for folks who want an easier way to search for titles.