Study Notes Copyright © William Lynch 2007
| First Figure - Jigs | 72 bars |
| 1 | Balance in: with crossed hand hold, couples dance into the centre and back (4 bars) and repeat. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Swing, with ceili hold. | 8 bars |
| 3 | Top couples: Balance and cross over: they dance in and back then change places, moving clockwise around each other and the ladies making one full turn clockwise under both raised arms as they cross. |
8 bars |
| Balance and cross back, the ladies this time turning anti-clockwise under raised arms as they begin to cross. | 8 bars | |
| Swing, while side couples take crossed hand hold and dance in place. | 8 bars | |
| 4 | Side couples now dance 3. and all swing to finish. | 24 bars |
| Second Figure - Jigs | 88 bars |
| 1 | Balance in. Swing. |
16 bars |
| 2 | Top couples: Balance in. |
8 bars |
| Ladies turning chain: they turn R arm one full turn in the centre, give L hand to the opposite gent and turn clockwise underarm, dancing anti-clockwise around him into place while he dances in place, facing centre. They turn R arm in the centre again, give L hand to their partner and turn clockwise underarm to end on his LH side, partners facing each other. | 16 bars | |
| Swing, the ladies starting on the gents' L and finishing on their RH side while side couples dance in place. | 8 bars | |
| 3 | Side couples now dance 2. and all swing to finish. | 32 bars |
| Third Figure - Jigs | 120 bars |
| 1 | Balance in. Swing. |
16 bars |
| 2 | Top couples: Balance in. |
8 bars |
| Ladies turn and half chain: they dance in and turn R arm in the centre (4 bars), give L hand to the opposite gent and turn clockwise underarm and into place beside him on his LH side (2 bars). New partners dance in place, face to face, L hands still held (2 bars). | 8 bars | |
| Swing, the ladies finishing on the gents' RH side. | 8 bars | |
| Lead around each other anti-clockwise, new couples, with waist hold. | 8 bars | |
| Ladies turn and half chain. | 8 bars | |
| Swing, while side couples dance in place. | 8 bars | |
| 3 | Side couples now dance 2. and all swing to finish. | 48 bars |
| Fourth Figure - Jigs | 104 bars |
| 1 | Balance in. Swing. |
16 bars |
| 2 | Top couples: Balance in. |
8 bars |
| Three and One: While 1st couple, in R shoulder hold, and 2nd gent dance in place, 2nd lady crosses the set to give L hand to the 1st gent and turn outwards beside him into shoulder hold (2 bars). The trio and 2nd gent advance and retire (4 bars) and the trio advances to the centre while 2nd gent dances in place (2 bars). | 8 bars | |
| While the 1st gent dances in the centre, both ladies dance across to the 2nd gent who takes them in shoulder hold as they half turn outwards beside him (2 bars) and the trio dances in place (2 bars). The trio advances to meet the 1st gent and the ladies three-quarter turn outwards into position for the basket as the 2nd gent drops hands (2 bars). All four dance in place (2 bars). | 8 bars | |
| Swing four, the ladies' hands on the gents' shoulders, and fall back to place on the last 2 bars while side couples dance in place. | 8 bars | |
| 3 | Side couples now dance 2 (1st couple L of 1st tops). | 32 bars |
| 4 | Balance in. Swing. |
16 bars |
| Fifth Figure - Polkas | 88 bars |
| 1 | Balance in. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Swing with waltz hold. | 8 bars |
| 3 | Top couples: Balance in. |
8 bars |
| Slow pass through: couples pass through each other, no hands held, 1st couple in the centre (6 bars) and each dancer half turns in position, 1st dancers outwards and 2nd dancers inwards (2 bars). The movement is then repeated with the 2nd couple passing through in the centre and all turning inwards in place. | 16 bars | |
| 4 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 5 | Side couples now dance 2. | 24 bars |
| 6 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| Sixth Figure - Polkas | 136 bars |
| 1 | Balance in. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Swing, with waltz hold. | 8 bars |
| 3 | Top couples: Balance in. |
8 bars |
| Ladies change places: they dance into the centre, R to R (2 bars), dance in place (2 bars) dance out to the opposite position (2 bars) and half turn inwards (2 bars). | 8 bars | |
| Gents change places: as did the ladies, but passing L to L. | 8 bars | |
| Ladies change back. | 8 bars | |
| Gents change back. | 8 bars | |
| 4 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 5 | Side couples now dance 3. | 40 bars |
| 6 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 7 | Balance in. Swing. |
16 bars |
| STEPS The jigs are danced with the brushed jig step and the polkas with the brushed polka step i.e. the same step is used throughout! |
| SOURCES Kevin Monaghan, a native of Headford, Co. Galway first gave me his notes on this set. It has been danced in the Headford area of north Galway (Glencorrib is just over the border in Mayo) for decades and was originally taught by Paddy Brennan and Dell May. Kevin is now living in Basingstoke, England, and leads the class based there. He got the set from his father, Noel, and the following information from Pat Bane. Both Noel and Pat had successfully danced the set in competition on several occasions and up to All-Ireland level. Around 1980 a group of dancers who all lived within 2 miles of Matt Cunningham's home near Kilcoona (4 miles below Headford) put a set together to dance for the Connacht Fleadh Cheoil which was being held that year in Headford. The original group were Pat and Peter Bane, Liam Dalton and Noel Monaghan, plus any four ladies from the following six: Dympna Greaney, Rita Dalton, Bridie McDonagh, Mary Collins, Ann Walsh and Fidelma Bane. They won that first competition, which they had entered for fun, and went on to dance regularly in competitions for several years. Their high point was winning the Senior Set Dancing competition at the All-Ireland Fleadh in Clones, Co. Monaghan, in 1983. They stopped dancing competitively around 1984, having won a large cash prize in a competition in Rosscahill, after which they were deemed to have lost their amateur status and could no longer dance in Comhaltas competitions. It was probably their All-Ireland success which brought them an invitation to dance on RTE's 'Late Late Show' presented by Gay Byrne on 17th March, 1984 to celebrate the fifth centenary of Galway's civil and ecclesiastical recognition as an autonomous entity. Noel and Pat were the only members of the original set to dance on that occasion, the other dancers all coming from the Caherlistrane and Castlehackett area (within a few miles). They opened the show with a foreshortened Glencorrib set in which the first four figures were abbreviated and danced as one. Their style had much in common with figure dancing, their steps being danced quite high on the ball of the foot and their crossed hands being held between waist and chest level. Kevin gave me a video recording of the first two parts of the show, including the Glencorrib demonstration. My description of these figures is taken from that video as well as from Kevin's notes and differs slightly, but in no significant manner, from that given by Pat Murphy in his book "The Flowing Tide". Music for the set can be found on Matt Cunningham's CD 'Dance Music of Ireland, Volume 12'. |