THE CASTLE/CASHELSET

Study Notes Copyright © William Lynch 2007

First Figure - Pass Through (Slides/Polkas) 200 bars
1 Top couples: 
House around each other.
8 bars
Pass through: couples dance through each other, ladies in the centre L to L, and turn clockwise in place (4 bars).  They dance back through each other, ladies in the centre R shoulder to R shoulder, turn inwards to face centre (4 bars). 8 bars
2 All couples:
Advance and retire twice, with R hand in R.
8 bars
Swing: ladies dance across to the gent on their R and swing with him (waltz hold), ending facing centre and on the R of this gent. 8 bars
Circle, all take hands in a circle and advance and retire twice. 8 bars
Swing partners: ladies dance back to their own partners and all swing. 8 bars
3 Top couples:
House around.
Pass through.
16 bars
4 All couples:
Advance and retire twice.   
Swing, ladies with the gent on their R.
Circle.
Swing partners.
32 bars
5 Side couples:
House around.
Pass through.
16 bars
6 All couples:
Advance and retire twice.
Swing, ladies with the gent on their L.
Circle.
Swing partners.
32 bars
7 Side couples:
House around.
Pass through.
16 bars
8 All couples:
Advance and retire twice.
Swing, ladies with the gent on their L.
Circle.
Swing partners.
32 bars
Second Figure - Wheel in Line (Polkas) 136 bars
1 Top couples:
House around each other.
8 bars
Advance and retire once, R in R. 4 bars
Ladies cross over: ladies dance 2 steps across to the opposite gent and swing him one turn with waltz hold. 4 bars
Wheel in line: with gent's R arm still around new partner's waist, ladies take R hands in the centre and all four wheel clockwise in line back to the gent's place. 8 bars
Swing, new couples in the gent's place. 8 bars
House around each other. 8 bars
Advance and retire once. 4 bars
Ladies cross back and swing. 4 bars
Wheel in line. 8 bars
Swing partners. 8 bars
2 Side couples now dance 1. 64 bars
Third Figure - Ladies Chain (Polkas) 200 bars
1 Top couples:
House around each other.
8 bars
Ladies chain R hands in the centre, L arm to turn the opposite gent in place, R hands again in the centre and L arm to turn their own partner. 8 bars
Swing opposites: 1st gent and 2nd lady dance in to face each other (2 bars).  They swing, separate, and drop back between the couple to the L of their own place.  Each line of three takes crossed hand hold behind with outside hands resting on the hip of the outside dancer. 8 bars
Singletons advance and retire twice: 2nd gent and 1st lady advance and retire twice while the trios dance in place. 8 bars
Trios advance and retire twice while the singletons dance in place. 8 bars
Swing partners: all couples reform (2 bars) and swing. 8 bars
Top couples: house around each other. 8 bars
Ladies chain. 8 bars
Swing opposites: 2nd gent and 1st lady. 8 bars
Singletons advance and retire twice: 1st gent and 2nd lady. 8 bars
Trios advance and retire twice. 8 bars
Swing partners: all couples reform and swing. 8 bars
2 Side couples now dance 1 (1st sides L of 1st top couple). 96 bars
Fourth Figure -The Hop (Hornpipes) 152 bars
1 Top couples:
House and hop: house across to the opposite place, dancing the hornpipe step (2 bars), then double the step back to place: hop 1, hop 2, hop 3, hop 4 (2 bars).
Gents change: gents cross, L to L, to turn in and face the opposite ladies (2 bars).
Clap and stamp: clap three times (1 bar) and stamp four times 1-2, 3, 4 (1 bar).
8 bars
House and hop with new partners.
Gents change.
Clap and stamp.
8 bars
House and hop with new partners.
Gents change.
Clap and stamp.
8 bars
House and hop with new partners.
Gents change.
Clap and stamp.
8 bars
House and hop with own partners. 4 bars
2 Side couples now dance 1. 36 bars
3 Top couples now repeat 1. 36 bars
4 Side couples now repeat 1. 36 bars
Fifth Figure -Slide and Change (Slides/Polkas) 256 bars
1 Long lead around: with waist hold, all couples dance 2 steps into the next place and dance 2 steps in place.  They repeat this sequence into each place and dance the last 2 steps at home. 16 bars
2 Top couples:
House around each other.
8 bars
Slide and change: couples slide 2 steps to the centre and 2 steps back (4 bars) then house across to the opposite place (4 bars). They repeat the movement back to place 16 bars
House around each other. 8 bars
Ladies chain R hands in the centre, L arm to turn the opposite gent, R hands in the centre, turn partners L hand to end facing anti-clockwise around the set holding L hands in front and R hands behind. 8 bars
3 Long lead around, all holding L hands in front and R hands behind. 16 bars
4 Side couples now dance 2. 40 bars
5 Long lead around. 16 bars
6 Top couples now repeat 2. 40 bars
7 Long lead around. 16 bars
8 Side couples now repeat 2. 40 bars
9 Long lead around. 16 bars
10 Circle. 8 bars
Sixth Figure - The Offering Up (Polkas/Slides) 120 bars
1 Circle. 8 bars
2 Swing partners. 8 bars
3 Change partners: Gents dance 1 step into the centre of the set and 1 step to turn ¼ turn R to face anti-clockwise around the set.  At the same time, ladies dance 2 steps on to the next gent on their R and new partners take waist hold (2 bars).  Couples lead around back to the gent's place (6 bars). 8 bars
4 Circle. 
Swing. 
Change partners.
24 bars
5 Circle.
Swing.
Change partners.
24 bars
6 Circle.
Swing.
Change partners.
24 bars
7 Circle.
Swing partners.
16 bars
SOURCE
The set is described as Connie Ryan called it at the Sunday afternoon ceili during the Galway International Set Dancing Festival in March 1995.  His intention in calling the set was to draw the dancers' attention to the way the set was danced in his area when he was a youngster and is still danced by the more traditional dancers in Tipperary today, particularly around Thurles and Templemore.  He firmly discouraged the introduction of circles after 5.3, 5.5 and 5.7 in the Fifth Figure, a practice adopted by many sets at the previous night's ceili, and insisted that this Figure should start with the Long Lead Around instead of a circle, the one and only Circle being danced in the last 8 bars of the figure.

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