March 2026 - "Irish Lamentation"

In honor of upcoming St. Patrick’s Day observances, this month’s tab is an arrangement of the well-known Irish air “Irish Lamentation”. Also known in historical sources as Limerick’s Lamentation, The Lament for Limerick, King James’ March to Limerick, and Lochaber No More, it is one of the oldest and most widely traveled airs in the Irish repertoire. Its earliest known publication dates to 1676, where it appeared simply as “An Irish Tune” and was attributed to Myles O’Reilly, an Irish harper and composer active in the late 17th century. A later and more widely circulated version appeared in 1692 under the title King James’ March to Ireland, reflecting the tune’s strong association with the Jacobite wars.

By the early 18th century, the tune had entered the mainstream of Irish traditional music, appearing in John and William Neal’s 1724 Collection of the Most Celebrated Irish Tunes, one of the most important early printed sources for Irish melody. Over time it accumulated more than twenty alternate titles and traveled into Scottish and English collections as well. It appears in volume 11 of John Playford’s “The English Dancing Master” published in 1735.

Here’s a link to a YouTube video of the tune being played by the English Country Dance group “Bare Necessities”

Wishing you all a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

In music and friendship,

—Tull

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