THE SOUTH KERRY (Uibh Rathach) SET
Study Notes Copyright © William Lynch 2007
| First Figure - Gents Chain and Swing (Polkas) | 88 bars |
| 1 | Top couples:
Gents chain and swing: they start to dance in place on the 5th bar of the introduction, then dance in, turn R hand in R, dance back to partners (6 bars) and swing (10 bars) |
16 bars |
| Ladies chain: they dance straight across (L to L) to the opposite gent, turn him L hand and dance back to face their own partners. | 8 bars | |
| Reverse house around each other, the gent reversing the lady for the first 2 steps. They then house (6 bars) back to place. | 8 bars | |
| Slide and home: they dance into the set (2 bars) and back (2 bars) and turn once at home, side gents also dancing in place (4 bars). | 8 bars | |
| 2 | Side couples now dance 1. | 40 bars |
| Second Figure - Slide and Home (Jigs) | 152 bars |
| 1 | House and square to home: Each gent reverses his lady into the corner (2 bars), and all house around to the place before their own (6 bars), gents facing out of the set at this point. Couples slide into the next corner and ¼ turn clockwise, dancing 1, 2, 1, hopturn (2 bars), slide back to place (2 bars) and turn once at home (4 bars). | 16 bars |
| 2 | Top couples:
Slide and home: they dance into the set (2 bars) and back (2 bars), turn once at home (4 bars) and repeat the whole movement. |
16 bars |
| 3 | House and square to home. | 16 bars |
| 4 | Top couples slide and home. | 16 bars |
| 5 | House and square to home. | 16 bars |
| 6 | Side couples slide and home. | 16 bars |
| 7 | House and square to home. | 16 bars |
| 8 | Side couples slide and home. | 16 bars |
| 9 | House and square to home. | 16 bars |
| Third Figure - Ladies Chain and Swing (Polkas) | 104 bars |
| 1 | House and square to home. | 16 bars |
| 2 | Top couples:
Chain and swing: ladies dance straight across, turn the opposite gent L hand, dance back to partners (6 bars) and couples swing with waltz hold (10 bars). |
16 bars |
| 3 | Lead around with waist hold. | 8 bars |
| 4 | House and square to home without reversing the first 2 steps. | 16 bars |
| 5 | Side couples chain and swing. | 16 bars |
| 6 | Lead around.
House and square to home. |
24 bars |
| Fourth Figure - Drag the Lady (Polkas) | 144 bars |
| 1 | House and square to home. | 16 bars |
| 2 | Top couples:
Drag the lady: couples advance and retire once, R hand in R (4 bars), and the gent leads his partner clockwise into the opposite place (4 bars). The 8 bar movement is repeated back to place. |
16 bars |
| Swing. | 8 bars | |
| Drag the lady again. | 16 bars | |
| Swing. | 8 bars | |
| 3 | Side couples now dance 2. | 48 bars |
| 4 | Lead around.
House and square to home. |
24 bars |
| Fifth Figure - Slide and Crossover (Polkas) | 136 bars |
| 1 | House and square to home. | 16 bars |
| 2 | Top couples:
Slide and change: they dance into the centre and back (4 bars) and house across into the opposite place (4 bars). The whole 8 bar movement is then repeated back to place. |
16 bars |
| Slide and crossover: they dance into the centre and back (4 bars) and the ladies change places, R to R (4 bars), taking waltz hold with the new partner. | 8 bars | |
| Reverse house around each other. | 8 bars | |
| Slide and chain: they dance into the centre and back (4 bars) and the ladies cross straight back to turn their own partner L hand, chain R hands in the centre, L to turn the opposite gent and back, R to R, into waltz hold (12 bars). | 16 bars | |
| Reverse house around each other. | 8 bars | |
| 3 | Side couples now dance 2. | 56 bars |
| Sixth Figure - Change Partners (Polkas) | 224 bars |
| 1 | Circle: all join hands in a circle and advance and retire twice. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 3 | Gents R hand star round to place while the ladies dance round anti-clockwise into the next gent's position. | 8 bars |
| 4 | Swing.
Lead around. House and square to home without reversing the first 2 steps. |
32 bars |
| 5 | Gents R hand star and ladies dance round anti-clockwise into the next gent's position. | 8 bars |
| 6 | Swing.
Lead around. House and square to home. |
32 bars |
| 7 | Gents R hand star and ladies dance round into the next gent's position. | 8 bars |
| 8 | Swing.
Lead around. House and square to home. |
32 bars |
| 9 | Gents R hand star and ladies dance round into the next gent's position. | 8 bars |
| 10 | Swing.
Lead around. House and square to home. |
32 bars |
| 11 | Gents R hand star and ladies dance round into the next gent's position. | 8 bars |
| 12 | Swing.
Lead around. House and square to home. |
32 bars |
| STYLE According to Mick, this set is danced very flat, with no batter, and with hands held rather higher than normal in the waltz hold at about gents' shoulder level. |
| SOURCE Mick Mulkerrin at Priddy, Somerset, November 1994. Mick had the set from Muiris Ó Briain whose local set this was and to whom we are indebted also for the Portmagee Miserk and the Caragh Lake Jig set. In Eileen O'Doherty's book of sets, "SET LEFT - SET RIGHT", this set is given with three other variations of the House and square to home as well as that demonstrated to us by Mick and described above. |