The Mountain Road

"The Mountain Road" is a popular Irish reel tune. It is often played after "Drowsy Maggie" in sessions.

Origin and Composition: The tune was composed by Michael Gorman. It is considered his most well-known composition. A recording of Gorman playing all six parts of the tune can be found online. Kevin Burke plays three parts on his album.

Variations: Several versions of the tune exist. A common version is two parts, but longer versions with three or six parts are also known. Some players repeat both parts of the tune. It is also sometimes played in A major or B minor.

Performance: The tune can be played on various instruments including fiddle, flute, and banjo. Some players play the first part an octave higher as a variation. Some fiddle players will roll or slide up to the F# note in the first part. The tune is sometimes played metronomically.

Influence & Associations: The tune is often heard in recordings by Harry Bradley, Tara Diamond, Marcus Hernon, and Johnny Connolly. It is often paired with tunes like "Pottinger’s" and "An Tithe Ceann Tuí”. It has also been compared to the "Killavil Reel" and shares similarities with parts of "Speed the Plough" / “O’Keeffe’s Plough” and “Doon Reel.”

Note: The name "Mountain Road" likely references an actual mountain road in Sligo, Michael Gorman's home county. Speculation exists that some performers play the tune to release “a different tone”.