Category: Irish Set
Description:
This set, which is from Claddagh, Connemara, Co. Galway, was taught by Seamus O Meoloid at the Connie Ran Memorial Weekend in Malahide in January 2004. All the swings are in waltz hold and first side couple are on the right of first top couple
Description and instructions from Apples in Winter by Pat Murphy, reproduced with permission.
Videos:
Striolán Ceili Band playing for the Claddagh Set
Kilcoo Ladies performance
Figure 1: House and Swing (Reel)
184 Bars + 8 bar lead-in
 |
 |
| 1 | Everyone Lead around All couples lead around counter-clockwise, turn in to face their partners and without turning the lady, lead back clockwise to place. During the last two bars, ladies face into the set and gents face out. |
16 |
| 2 | Swing In waltz hold. | 8 |
| 3 | 1st top gent Dance around Leading gent and opposite lady dance in a clockwise circle around each other to finish facing each other in the center, each with their back to their own position. |
8 |
| 4 | Swing Leading gent and opposite lady swing in the center. | 8 |
| 5 | Top Couples Advance and retire The swinging couple still hold hands as they step back taking their own partner’s hand. The swinging gent takes his own partner’s right hand, while the swinging lady takes her partner’s left hand. Top couples now advance and retire twice holding crossed hands. |
8 |
| 6 | House Across, Lead Back Top couples, still holding crossed hands, house to the opposite side of the set turning twice. The lady then turns clockwise under the gent’s right arm to finish with his right arm over her shoulder as they continue, leading around to home, where she turns anticlockwise under his right arm as they turn in to face each other in place. | 8 |
| 7 | Swing | 8 |
| 8 | Side Couples Dance 3 to 7 with first side gent (on the right) and second side lady leading |
40 |
| 9 | Top Couples Dance 3 to 7 with first top lady and second top gent leading. |
40 |
| 10 | Side Couples Dance 3 to 7 with first side lady (on the right) and second side gent leading. Top couples also swing at (g) when sides are swinging the last time. |
40 |
Figure 2: Wheel and Swing (Reel)
176 Bars + 8 bar lead-in
|
|
| 1 | Everyone Adv & retire twice Holding crossed hands in front |
8 |
| 2 | Swing at home | 8 |
| 3 | Top Couples Ladies chain Taking right hands in the centre, each lady turns clockwise under the opposite gent’s left arm as she dances around behind him. The gent raises his arm and moves forward as the lady passes behind him but he does not turn. He retires as she starts to cross back to home. Each lady turns anticlockwise under her own partner’s right arm into place. |
8 |
| 4 | House Across, Lead Back | 8 |
| 5 | Swing | 8 |
| 6 | Side Couples Dance 3 to 5 |
24 |
| 7 | Top Couples Gents wheel Gents take raised right hands in the centre and dance around, then take raised left hands and dance back to place. |
8 |
| 8 | Lead around Still holding left hands in the centre, each gent places his right arm around his partner’s waist as she places her hand on his shoulder and couples lead around anticlockwise. | 8 |
| 9 | Adv, retire, adv and circle Couples advance and retire, with each gent’s arm around the lady’s waist, then advance again to form a circle in the centre as they look into the well, ladies placing their hands on the gents’ shoulders. | 8 |
| 10 | Swing in four in the centre | 8 |
| 11 | Ladies chain Taking right hands in the centre, each lady turns clockwise under the opposite gent’s left arm as she dances around behind him. The gent raises his arm and moves forward as the lady passes behind him but he does not turn. He retires as she starts to cross back to home. Each lady turns anticlockwise under her own partner’s right arm into place. | 8 |
| 12 | House across, lead back | 8 |
| 13 | Swing | 8 |
| 14 | Side Couples Dance 7 to 13 |
56 |
Figure 3: Cross Chain (Reel)
144 Bars + 8 bar lead-in
|
|
| 1 | Everyone Adv & retire twice in a circle |
8 |
| 2 | House across, lead back All couples, holding crossed hands, house to the opposite side of the set turning twice. Each lady then turns clockwise under the gent’s right arm to finish with his right arm over her shoulder as they continue, leading around to home, where she turns anticlockwise under his right arm as they turn in to face each other in place. | 8 |
| 3 | Swing | 8 |
| 4 | Ladies Wheel The four ladies join right hands in the centre and dance around, then join left hands to dance back, turning anticlockwise under their own partner’s right hand into place. |
8 |
| 5 | Gents Wheel The four gents join left hands in the centre and dance around, then join right hands to dance back, each gent turning his own lady clockwise under the left arm as he arrives back almost in place. |
8 |
| 6 | Everyone House across, lead back All couples, holding crossed hands, house to the opposite side of the set turning twice. Each lady then turns clockwise under the gent’s right arm to finish with his right arm over her shoulder as they continue, leading around to home, where she turns anticlockwise under his right arm as they turn in to face each other in place. |
8 |
| 7 | Swing | 8 |
| 8 | Cross Chain Taking right hands, top ladies dance a turn and a quarter around each other in the centre to finish facing the side gents left of their own home position (4 bars). As top ladies turn in the centre, the side gents turn clockwise in place. Each top lady now gives her left hand to this side gent, dancing anticlockwise around him, turning clockwise under his arm while he faces in without turning (2 bars) and then the top ladies cross, touching right hands in the centre, to finish in the lady’s place beside the side gent on the right of their own original positions (2 bars). While top ladies dance this chain, the side ladies advance and retire to the top gent on their right, then cross on the inside as he turns clockwise in place, to finish facing him in top lady’s position. | 8 |
| 9 | Swing new partners | 8 |
| 10 | Cross Chain Top ladies, starting from side positions, now chain around each other again while the top gents turn clockwise in place. This time, the ladies turn under their own partner’s left arm and touch hands again as they cross to face the opposite top gent. At the same time, each side lady, starting in a top position, advances and retires to the opposite side gent (now on her right). She then dances over on the inside as he turns clockwise, to face him in place. | 8 |
| 11 | Swing new partners Ladies should now be in the positions opposite their own. | 8 |
| 12 | Cross Chain Side ladies now dance the cross chain, starting in opposite side positions, while top gents turn in place,.At the same time, top ladies advance to the gent on their right and, as he turns clockwise, cross on the inside to face him. | 8 |
| 13 | Swing new partners | 8 |
| 14 | Cross Chain Side ladies, starting in top positions, chain again as side gents turn in place, turning under opposite side gent’s arm and crossing back home to finish facing their own partners in place. At the same time, top ladies advance and retire to their own partners and dance across as the gents turn clockwise, to face them at home. | 8 |
| 15 | Swing new partners | 8 |
| 16 | Adv & retire twice in a circle | 8 |
| 17 | House All couples, holding crossed hands, house to the opposite side of the set turning twice. Each lady then turns clockwise under the gent’s right arm to finish with his right arm over her shoulder as they continue, leading around to home, where she turns anticlockwise under his right arm as they turn in to face each other in place. | 8 |
| 18 | Swing | 8 |
Figure 4: Cross over (Jig)
184 Bars + 8 bar lead-in
|
|
| 1 | Everyone Adv & retire twice in a circle |
8 |
| 2 | Chain Taking their partner’s right hand in right and facing them in place, all chain around the set. When partners meet at the opposite side, each lady turns anticlockwise under her partner’s right arm before they continue the chain around to home. | 16 |
| 3 | Swing | 8 |
| 4 | Top Couples Adv, retire & cross over Taking their partner’s right hand in right, top couples advance and retire once, then top gent turns the lady clockwise twice to the opposite side, passing under an arch made by the opposite couple. Second top gent turns the lady anticlockwise as he dances into place going outside her at the opposite side. |
8 |
| 5 | Adv, retire & cross home Repeat back to home, with first top couple making the arch and second top gent turning the lady while they pass under the arch as they cross back. | 8 |
| 6 | House Across, Lead Back Top couples, holding crossed hands, house to the opposite side of the set turning twice. The lady then turns clockwise under the gent’s right arm to finish with his right arm over her shoulder and they continue, leading around to home, where she turns anticlockwise under his right arm as they face each other in place. | 8 |
| 7 | Swing | 8 |
| 8 | Side Couples Dance 4 to 7 first side couple, on the right, going under the arch on the way over. |
32 |
| 9 | Top Couples Dance 4 to 7 second top couple leading. They dance under the arch first this time |
32 |
| 10 | Side Couples Dance 4 to 7 second side couple leading. They dance under the arch first this time. |
32 |
| 11 | Everyone Chain Taking their partner’s right hand in right and facing them in place, all chain around the set. When partners meet at the opposite side, each lady turns anticlockwise under her partner’s right arm before they continue the chain to home. |
16 |
| 12 | Swing | 8 |
Added on 2012-02-25 11:22:02.
Modified on 2017-06-01 19:35:49.
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Modified on 2017-06-01 19:35:49.
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