The Complete Guide to The Pride of Petravore Hornpipe

Introduction: The Comical Song That Conquered the Session

While many traditional Irish hornpipes are of anonymous, historical origin, the tune known as The Pride of Petravore originated in the late 19th-century Irish music halls. It was composed as a humorous song, a theatrical lament describing a local beauty so intimidatingly gorgeous that none of the Cavan boys dared to woo her. Over the subsequent decades, the melody underwent a transformation as traditional instrumentalists adopted the melody, adjusted its tempo, and integrated it into the modern session repertoire.

Today, the tune is widely played in traditional settings. Its E minor tonality provides a modal contrast to the major-key jigs and reels that are common in modern sessions. According to database analytics, the tune has a documented footprint of 499 session sets and 35 commercial recordings, which together register 295 transition pathways. This guide explores the composition history, notation settings, and transition patterns of the melody.

What Is The Pride of Petravore? (Key, Rhythm, & Meter)

The Pride of Petravore is played as a hornpipe in 4/4 time. It is performed with a swung triplet feel, which is characteristic of the traditional Irish hornpipe rhythm.

• Tune Type: Hornpipe (4/4 time)
• Key Signature: 1 sharp (F#)
• Musical Mode: E Minor (often resolving with Aeolian or Dorian phrasing)
• Common Session Tempo: 85–95 BPM
• Overall Character: Rhythmic, driving, and structured. The A-part climbs with a clear arpeggiated outline, while the B-part utilizes octave leaps on fiddle or bellows accents on accordion.
• Difficulty Level: Easy. The melody moves in largely scalar and predictable intervals, making it accessible to intermediate players practicing hornpipe ornamentation and timing.

Historical Roots: Percy French, Houston Collisson, and County Cavan

The tune was composed in the 1880s as a comical song titled “Eileen Oge: or, The Pride of Petravore”. The music was composed by Irish songwriter and pianist William Alexander Houston Collisson (1865–1920), and the lyrics were penned by his writing partner, the songwriter and landscape painter Percy French (1854–1920).

The song tells the story of Eileen Oge, the pride of the crossroads of Petravore in County Cavan. Her beauty made all the local boys too shy to approach her, leaving her to eventually be married to a fast-talking cattle dealer named McGrath. The name Petravore is believed to be derived from the Irish phrase Pedar a Voher (Peter of the Road), which referred to Peter McGovern, a 19th-century publican who ran a tavern at a Cavan crossroads. While some local accounts place this crossroads near Ballyconnell in County Cavan, historical documentation of the exact geographical location remains incomplete.

The melody transitioned into the traditional instrumental repertoire during the early 20th century as dance masters and uilleann pipers adopted the catchy air. The tune was popularized in the modern era by De Dannan on their 1980 album Ballroom, featuring Frankie Gavin's fiddle work. Group arrangements by Lankum and The Mary Wallopers have returned the tune to its vocal storytelling roots.

The Aliases of The Pride of Petravore

Because it exists as both a popular song and an instrumental session piece, the tune is documented under several aliases:

• The Pride of Petravore (or Pride of Petravore, The) — The standard instrumental title.
• Eileen Og (or Eileen Oge, Eileen Óg) — The title of the original Percy French song.
• Eibhlín Óg (or Eibhlín Og) — The Irish-language spelling of the song title.
• Molly At The Fair — An alias under which it was recorded by Sligo fiddle player Manus McGuire.
• Pride of Petrovore — A common spelling variation found in American piping collections.

ABC Notation & Interactive Sheet Music

The standard setting of The Pride of Petravore in the database was contributed by user Jeremy in 2001. Below, you can toggle between the Standard Setting (E Minor) and a chorded arrangement contributed by user Edgar Bolton in 2022.

Recordings & Artists: The Landmark Albums

The Pride of Petravore has been recorded 35 times across commercial albums. Notable recordings include:

• De Dannan (1980): Recorded on Ballroom (and later on How The West Was Won). An instrumental setting that popularized the tune in modern sessions.
• The Dubliners (1992): Recorded on 30 Years A-Greying. Features their signature driving, acoustic folk-song style under the title "Eileen Óg".
• The Mary Wallopers (2022): Featured on their self-titled debut album The Mary Wallopers. A pub-style vocal rendition that returned the tune to its storytelling roots.
• Téada (2022): Recorded on Coiscéim Coiligh / As the Days Brighten. An ensemble arrangement featuring uilleann pipes and fiddle under the title "Eileen Óg".
• Jerry O'Sullivan (1998): Featured on Ón Tuath, from the Country. An uilleann piping showcase showing how the tune utilizes regulator drones.
• Manus McGuire (2000): Recorded under the alias "Molly At The Fair" on Saffron And Blue, demonstrating Sligo-style fiddle phrasing.

Search Recordings Database

Search and sort through commercial recordings of The Pride of Petravore hornpipe using real-world catalog data:

The Pride of Petravore in Sessions: Playback Statistics

In community session databases, The Pride of Petravore is ranked as the #19 most versatile hornpipe of all time. It connects with 97 unique tunes and has 295 total transitions registered.

Analyzing its position in sets reveals a specific role: it is played as the opener in only 16.0% of recorded sets. In 84.0% of session sets in which it is played, it occupies the middle or closing position. This suggests that players typically use the tune later in a set to build momentum rather than starting with it.

What Tunes Usually Follow The Pride of Petravore?

When transitioning out of The Pride of Petravore, database records indicate that players often remain in E Minor or modulate to G Major. The top follow-on transitions are:

These transition pathways display distinct musical logic:

1. The Pride of Petravore → The Rights of Man (Scale Symmetry): Both tunes are played in E Minor (1 sharp), sharing the exact same pitch landscape. This transition is musically smooth due to scale symmetry and rhythmic consistency. Both are hornpipes, but *The Rights of Man* features more intricate ornamentation, which offers a stylistic shift.
2. The Pride of Petravore → Off To California (Relative Major Shift): Moving from E Minor to G Major maintains the same key signature of 1 sharp (F#) but shifts the tonic center up a minor third. This shifts the mood from minor-key tension to a bright major-key lift.

What Tunes Usually Precede The Pride of Petravore?

When The Pride of Petravore is played in the second or third position of a set, database records show it is frequently preceded by E minor melodies:

• The Rights of Man (22.85% of incoming sets): Out of 499 sets, 114 sets transition from The Rights of Man (E Minor) into The Pride of Petravore. This represents a reciprocal loop of E minor hornpipes.
• King of the Fairies (6.92% of incoming sets): 9 sets transition from the E minor set dance/hornpipe King of the Fairies into The Pride of Petravore, reinforcing the modal key center.
• Off To California (1.19% of incoming sets): 6 sets transition from the major-key Off To California (G Major) into The Pride of Petravore, representing a major-to-minor tonal shift.

Three Curated Sets featuring The Pride of Petravore

Here are three data-backed sets that you can use to structure your session practice:

Interesting Facts & Data Curiosities

• The Cavan Publican: The name Petravore refers to Peter McGovern's crossroads tavern. McGovern was a Cavan character whose hospitality was celebrated by Percy French.
• harmonic Bridge: With a versatility rank of #19 and 97 connected tunes, the tune serves as a harmonic bridge. It is often used by musicians to pivot between major keys (G/D) and minor keys (E minor).
• Modern Arrangements: Fiddle and bellows arrangements by groups such as Lankum and Téada have demonstrated the tune's adaptibility, utilising detuned drones and uilleann pipe regulator backing.

Why Wind and String Players Love The Tune

String players find that the A-part fits cleanly under the fingers, utilizing low D and open G/E strings, which allows for a comfortable wrist motion that supports a swung hornpipe rhythm. Wind players (flute, whistle, pipes) find the tune ergonomic because it does not climb into the third octave, leaving ample room to perform breath-based accents, cuts, and rolls in the rich lower and middle registers.

Frequently Asked Questions