Category: Irish Set
Description:
This set dance was composed in 2014 and presented at the Connie Ryan Set Dance Weekend in Nenagh, county Tipperary, in January 2015.
The Metal Bridge is located beside Ballyboy Cross, which is in the Parish of Upperchurch - Drumbane in county Tipperary. It is less than a mile from where I lived as a child and was then famous for its Crossroad Dances, which took place on Sunday evenings during the long summers. On many occasions when discussing set dancing and earlier times, Connie Ryan spoke about dancing at the Platform (outdoor dance floor) at Ballyboy Cross. Music was supplied by local musicians and my father Jack spoke about playing there sometimes in his younger days. The crossroad and the area surrounding the bridge has now been restored as a very attractive little park beside the river, with picnic facilities. I chose this name for the new set dance because of the happy memories it invokes. - Pat Murphy
Added from notes by Pat Murphy, reproduced with permission.
First sides are to the left of first tops.
Videos:
In addition to the videos below, videos for each figure, called by Pat, are available through the 
icon at the top of each figure.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 1: Pass through (Reel)
152 Bars + 8 bar lead-in
Swallows Tail - In Full Flight track 17, Clare Lancers Set Fig. 1 is good for this figure.
|
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| 1 | Everyone Lead Around Lead around, gent’s right arm around the lady’s waist and her left hand resting on his near shoulder. |
8 |
| 2 | Swing Swing in waltz hold. | 8 |
| 3 | Tops House House around each other inside. |
8 |
| 4 | Everyone Right-hand Pass through & line up in tops Taking right hand in right with the opposite person, top couples pass through with each lady passing between the opposite couple (2b), then take left hand in left with their own partners at the opposite side to pass them by (2b). Top dancers now take right hand in right with the side person facing them and turn clockwise to line up in top positions, tops in the centre of the line opposite their own positions and side dancers facing their own partners on the outside of the lines (4b). |
8 |
| 5 | Advance & retire The lines advance and retire once, then advance again and top couples retire, while side dancers stay in, facing their own partners in place. | 8 |
| 6 | Swing Swing in place. | 8 |
| 7 | Sides House House around each other inside. |
8 |
| 8 | Everyone Pass through & line up in sides Side couples lead, to finish in a line up in side positions with side couples in the centre of the line opposite their own positions and top dancers on the outside facing their own partners. |
8 |
| 9 | Advance & retire The lines advance and retire once, then advance again and side couples retire, while top dancers stay in, facing their own partners. | 8 |
| 10 | Swing Swing in place. | 8 |
| 11 | Repeat 3 to 10 Starting in opposite positions, all repeat to finish swinging at home. | 64 |
| 12 | House House around to finish. | 8 |
Figure 2: The star (Jig)
152 Bars + 8 bar lead-in
The The Abbey Céilí Band, Béal a' Ghleanna track 20 PlainSet,5-Fig is good for this figure
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| 1 | Everyone Lead Around Lead around, gent’s right arm around the lady’s waist and her left hand resting on his near shoulder. |
8 |
| 2 | Swing Swing in waltz hold. | 8 |
| 3 | Tops House House around each other inside. |
8 |
| 4 | Star halfway, turn using Lh with Rt corner into swing in four Top couples form a right hand star in the centre and dance halfway around to the opposite side (4 bars). Each top dancer now turns anticlockwise, left hand in left, around the side gent or lady facing them at the other side (2 bars), then top gents each put their right arm around their own partner’s waist as top couples move into the centre to form a group of four, ladies resting their hands on the gents’ shoulders (2 bars). | 8 |
| 5 | Swing in four Swing in four in the centre, breaking back to finish in opposite positions. | 8 |
| 6 | Everyone Swing Swing in place. |
8 |
| 7 | Sides Dance 3 to 5 Side couples dance, finishing in opposite positions. |
24 |
| 8 | Everyone Swing Swing in place. |
8 |
| 9 | Repeat 3 to 8 Starting in opposite positions, all repeat to finish swinging back at home. | 64 |
| 10 | House House around to finish. | 8 |
Figure 3: Corner house (Reel)
152 Bars + 8 bar lead-in
The Abbey Céilí Band; Béal a' Ghleanna track 7, ConnemaraSet,1-Fig is good for this figure
|
|
| 1 | Everyone Lead Around Lead around, gent’s right arm around the lady’s waist and her left hand resting on his near shoulder. |
8 |
| 2 | Swing Swing in waltz hold. | 8 |
| 3 | Tops House inside House around each other inside. |
8 |
| 4 | Square left, pass back Top couples, side by side with their partners in waltz hold, advance to face the side couples on their left, then reverse into opposite top positions (4 bars). They now pass through with ladies in the centre and pass their partners left shoulder to left into place (4 bars). | 8 |
| 5 | Everyone House halfway, pass through/back 2 back In waltz hold, top couples facing slightly left and side couples facing slightly right. Each top couple and the facing side couple now house half-way around each other, turning twice to finish in each other’s place (4b). Top couples finish in side positions, facing across the centre while side couples finish facing their own partners in top positions. Top couples now pass through to the opposite side position, ladies in the centre and pass their partners left shoulder to left, while side couples dance back to back in top positions, passing right shoulder to right forward and left shoulder to left back (4b). |
8 |
| 6 | Swing Swing in their new positions, right of their own. | 8 |
| 7 | Repeat 3 to 6 With side couples leading from top positions. They dance 3 and 4, then house to the left at 5 and pass through, while top couples house to the right and dance back to back. All now finish opposite their original positions. | 32 |
| 8 | Repeat 3 to 6 With top couples leading again from opposite positions. All finish left of their original positions. | 32 |
| 9 | Repeat 3 to 6 With side couples leading again and all finish back at home. | 32 |
| 10 | House House around to finish. | 8 |
Figure 4: Line up (Reel)
152 Bars + 8 bar lead-in
Heather Breeze Céilí Band; The Skylark track 9, Moycullen Set 2 is good for this figure
|
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| 1 | Everyone Lead Around Lead around, gent’s right arm around the lady’s waist and her left hand resting on his near shoulder. |
8 |
| 2 | Swing Swing in waltz hold. | 8 |
| 3 | Tops House inside House around each other inside. |
8 |
| 4 | Everyone Star & line up in sides Top couples form a right hand star in the centre and dance around to the opposite side (4 bars). They then join left hands in a star with the side couple right of their own original position, each lady in front of her partner. All turn anticlockwise in the star to finish in facing lines in side positions, first top couple and second side couple in second side position (right of first tops), while second top couple and first side couple are in first side position. Each side couple is on the left of the top couple beside them . The order in the line up is as follows: First Side Line | Second Side Line SG1 | TL1 SL1 | TG1 TG2 | SL2 TL2 | SG2 |
8 |
| 5 | Advance & retire twice The lines advance and retire once (4 bars), then advance again and the dancers on the outside of each line stay in and dance facing each other as the dancers in the centre retire (4 bars). | 8 |
| 6 | Swing All swing their new partners. | 8 |
| 7 | Tops House inside The next leading couples now in top positions (first side gent with first top lady and second side gent gent with second top lady) house around each other inside. |
8 |
| 8 | Everyone Star & line up in sides Top position couples form a right hand star in the centre and dance around to the opposite side (4 bars). They then join left hands in a star with the side couple right of their own original position, each lady in front of her partner. All turn anticlockwise in the star to finish in facing lines in side positions, first top couple and second side couple in second side position, while second top couple and first side couple are in first side position. Each side couple is on the left of the top couple beside them (4 bars). The lines are as follows: First Side Line | Second Side Line TG2 | TL2 SL1 | SG2 SG1 | SL2 TL1 | TG1. |
8 |
| 9 | Advance & retire twice The lines advance and retire once (4 bars), then advance again and the dancers on the outside of each line stay in and dance facing each other as the dancers in the centre retire (4 bars). | 8 |
| 10 | Swing All swing their own partners at home. | 8 |
| 11 | Sides House inside Side couples house around each other. |
8 |
| 12 | Everyone Star & line up in tops Side couples form a right hand star in the centre and dance around to the opposite side (4 bars). They now form a left hand star with the couple right of their starting position, each lady in front of her partner and turn in the star into a line up in top positions. Each side couple is right of their starting position with their top couple on their left. The lines are as follows: SL2 SG2 TL2 TG2 in second top position and TG1 TL1 SG1 SL2 in first top position. |
8 |
| 13 | Advance & retire twice The lines advance and retire once (4 bars), then advance again and the dancers on the outside of each line stay in and dance facing each other as the dancers in the centre retire (4 bars). | 8 |
| 14 | Swing All swing their new partners. | 8 |
| 15 | Tops House inside The final leading couples, again in side positions, (first top gent with second side lady and second top gent with first side lady) now house around each other inside. |
8 |
| 16 | Sides Star & line up in tops Side couples house around each other. (8 bars) The lines are as follows, from the left of each line: SL1 TG2 TL2 SG2 in second top position and SG1 TL1 TG1 SL2 in first top position. |
8 |
| 17 | Everyone Advance & retire twice The lines advance and retire once (4 bars), then advance again and the dancers on the outside of each line stay in and dance facing each other as the dancers in the centre retire (4 bars). |
8 |
| 18 | Swing All swing their own original partners. | 8 |
| 19 | House House around to finish. | 8 |
Figure 5: Mixer (Fling)
152 Bars + 8 bar lead-in
The Kilfenora Ceili Band; Live in Lisdoonvarna track 6 is good for this figure
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| 1 | Everyone Advance & retire in a circle Advance and retire twice in a circle. |
8 |
| 2 | Swing Swing in place. | 8 |
| 3 | House Dance around the house. | 8 |
| 4 | Ladies star chain across & home The four ladies join right hands in the centre and dance across to turn left hand in left around the opposite gents (4 bars). They then join right hands in the centre again and dance back to turn left hand in left around their own partners into place (4 bars). | 8 |
| 5 | Gents star chain across & pick up new lady The four gents join right hands in the centre and dance across to turn left hand in left around the opposite ladies (4 bars). Each gent now joins right hand in right with the lady on his right (on the left of his original position) and dances clockwise around with her until he is in the gent’s position beside her with his right arm on her shoulder. He then takes her left hand in left also, in the lead around position (4 bars). | 8 |
| 6 | Diamond All new couples dance a diamond in the "lead around" hold. They advance to the position on their right dancing, 1, 2, 123, then reverse into the next position, opposite where they started (4 bars). They now repeat the movements as they dance around to home, turning in to take waltz hold during the last bar (4 bars). | 8 |
| 7 | House Changing to waltz hold, all couples house around. | 8 |
| 8 | Repeat 4 to 7 Repeat three times, to finish by dancing the house with their own original partners. | 96 |
Added on 2015-04-19 10:54:04.
Modified on 2016-11-06 12:35:11.
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Modified on 2016-11-06 12:35:11.
Sign in to see who added or last modified this dance.