Dave Mallinson has been known as Mally since his first day at school. He has been involved in music since the age of nine, when he learned to play the recorder. In his mid teens he played the pop music of the era on guitar, but his interest was always little more than half-hearted. In his late teens he discovered folk music but still the guitar was unable to inspire him.

At the age of twenty two, Mally discovered the melodeon and immediately felt the musical stimulation he had unconsciously been seeking for many years. Practice was no longer a chore, it was his favourite occupation, an addiction even.

Although starting late in life makes virtuoso status unattainable, it is still possible to reach a good standard. Mally, through lengthy practice, hard work and dogged determination, has managed to achieve a high level of competence and has become a well respected player. However, his constant struggle to maintain his skill makes his days as a beginner never seem far away. He is well able to recognise, and is very much aware of, the problems and difficulties facing beginners and novices.

During the early days of learning a musical instrument, many budding musicians fall by the wayside. They soon tire of playing the same half dozen tunes over and over again and, because they are unable to find other suitable melodies to sustain their interest, they drop out. To prevent boredom getting the upper hand, it is necessary to quickly build up a reasonably sized repertoire. Mally has identified 101 relatively simple, but interesting, Irish tunes and presents them here, in graded order, to increase your chances of success. This book will help you quickly boost your repertoire and get you up and running in the Irish sessions in no time, giving you many hours of enjoyment in the process.

The tune settings in this book are all ‘session friendly’, i.e. you can learn them exactly as written and know that you will have a perfectly acceptable version. However, it can be unwise to learn a tune from only one source and, when possible, it’s best, when learning a new tune, to pay heed to other books, recordings and live performances. 

Books will only help you to learn the notes of a tune. To pick up the rhythm of Irish music you must devote a large amount of time listening to both recordings and live musicians. Of greatest importance, you must practise; the value of this book is directly proportional to the number of hours a day you spend practising.

Chord arrangements are more or less as played on the soundtrack, but nevertheless, are only suggestions.
 
Contents
 
All the Way To Galway
Another Jig Will Do
Anything for Jonjo?
Ballydesmond Polka, The
Barnacle Redowa, The
Barney Brannigan
Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms
Bill Harte’s Jig
Black Velvet Band, The
Blackthorn Stick, The
Boolavogue
Boys of Bluehill
Boys of Wexford, The
Britches Full of Stitches, The
Brosna Slide, The
Buachaill On Eirne
Bunratty Boys
Butterfly, The
Captain White
Cockles and Mussels
Dennis Enright’s Slide
Dennis Murphy’s Polka
Derry Boat, The
Din Tarrant’s Polka
Dingle Regatta
Donegal Mazurka
Down By the Sally Gardens
Drops of Brandy
Drowsy Maggie
Egan’s Polka
Enniskillen Dragoon, The
Far From Home
Fine Toast to Hewlett, A
Finnegan’s Wake
Foggy Dew, The
Foxhunters’ Jig
Frost is all Over
Green Grow the Rushes-O
Harp That Once Through Tara’s Halls, The
Harvest Home
Hills of Tara, The
I’ll Tell Me Ma
Irish Washerwoman, The
John Egan’s Polka
John Ryan’s Polka
Johnny Mickey Barry’s Polka
Kathleen Hehir’s Slide
Kelly, the Boy from Killan
Kerry Polka Number 1, The
Kerry Polka Number 2, The
Kesh Jig, The
Lakes of Sligo, The
Lannigan’s Ball
Leather Away the Wattle-O
Leg of the Duck, The
Leslie’s Hornpipe
Little Diamond
Madame Bonaparte
Maggie in the Wood
Magic Slipper, The
Merrily Kissed the Quaker
Mickey Chewing Bubble Gum
Mountains of Mourne, The
Muirsheen Durkin
New Rigged Ship, The
O’Connor’s Polka
O’Donnell Abu
Off She Goes
Óró ‘Sé Do Bheatha ‘Bhaile
Planxty Fanny Power
Planxty Irwin
Portláirge
Rakes of Kildare
Rakes of Mallow
Rattlin’ Bog
Road to Lisdoonvarna, The
Rocky Road to Dublin, The
Rosin the Beau
Saddle the Pony
Saint Mary’s Polka
Scartaglen Polka, The
Scattery Island Slide, The
Sean South of Garryowen
Shoo the Donkey
Si Bheag, Si Mhor
Some Say the Devil’s Dead
Sonny’s Mazurka
South Wind, The
Spancil Hill
Spanish Lady
Stack of Wheat, The
Star Above the Garter, The
Sweets of May, The
Tenpenny Bit
Tralee Gaol
Tripping Upstairs
Tureengarbh Glen
Waxies’ Dargle, The
Wearing of the Green, The
Wild Colonial Boy, The
Wild Rover, The