THE PLAIN SET

This dance was first introduced to the Group by Christy Mac Gearailt, set dance instructor from Dingle in West Kerry. Other published instructions for this dance may differ slightly. Our sources include Pat Murphy's "Toss the Feathers", Terry Moylan's "Irish Dances", and Tom Quinn's "Irish Dances" and the video "The Magic of Irish Set Dancing, Volume 1". The Brooks Academy, Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann [Cooley-Keegan Branch of San Francisco], the Irish-American Lobby Education Foundation and Joe O'Hara have versions this set online.

Formation

Square Set of four couples, Gents on the left of their partners. Numbering of couples is clockwise starting with Top Couple who have their backs to the band. Second Couple (First Sides) are on their left, then Third Couple (Second Tops), and finally Fourth Couple (Second Sides) on the right of First Tops.

FIGURE 1 (REEL - 112 BARS)

All Couples	Front promenade hold - Lead around anti-clockwise (6 bars), turn the Lady under (2 bars)	8 bars
All Couples	Waltz hold - House at home	8 bars
Top Couples	Pass through (Ladies on the inside - 2 bars), right hand to partner + turn Lady under and change sides (2 bars) + Repeat (Pass through + Turn under and change sides)	8 bars
Top Couples	House at home	8 bars
Top Couples	Ladies chain, right hands in the centre, left hand to opposite Gent, going around him anti-clockwise turning under his arm (Gents turn anti-clockwise) + Pass back to place (right shoulder to right), right hand to partner + turn Lady under (Gents turn anti-clockwise)	8 bars
Top Couples	Front promenade hold - Lead around half way (2 bars), turn Lady under (2 bars) + Pass through (Ladies on the inside), right hand to partner + turn Lady under	8 bars
All Couples	House at home	8 bars
Side Couples	Pass through, turn Lady under, pass back, turn Lady under (8 bars) + House at home (8 bars) + Ladies chain (8 bars) + Lead around half way, turn Lady under, pass through, turn Lady under (8 bars)	32 bars
All Couples	House at home	8 bars
All Couples	House the set and finish	8 bars

FIGURE 2 (REEL - 128 BARS)

All Couples	Lead around, turn the Lady under + House at home	16 bars
Top Couples	Right hand in right - Advance and retire + Dance Lady across to opposite place turning twice under Gents right arm (Lady dances in front of Gent) + Right hand in right - Advance and retire + Dance Lady to home turning under twice	16 bars
Top Couples	House at home	8 bars
Top Couples	Right hand in right - Advance and retire + Dance Lady to opposite place + Advance and retire + Dance Lady to home	16 bars
All Couples	House at home	8 bars
Side Couples	Right hand in right - Advance and retire + Dance Lady to opposite place + Advance and retire + Dance Lady to home	16 bars
Side Couples	House at home	8 bars
Side Couples	Advance and retire + Dance Lady to opposite place + Advance and retire + Dance Lady to home	16 bars
All Couples	House at home + House the set and finish	16 bars

FIGURE 3 (REEL - 176 BARS)

All Couples	Lead around, turn the Lady under + House at home	16 bars
Top Couples	Ladies straight across (2 bars) + Dance at home with opposite Gent	8 bars
Top Couples	Gents straight across to Lady's side (2 bars) + Right hand in right - Turn Lady under (2 bars) + Left hand in left turn Lady under twice with Gents crossing back to usual places (4 bars)	8 bars
Top Couples	Front promenade hold - Advance and retire twice	8 bars
Top Couples	Waltz hold - Slide advance and retire to right side (4 bars) + House to place (4 bars)	8 bars
Top Couples	Lady straight across + Dance at home with opposite Gent	8 bars
Top Couples	Gents straight across + Turn Lady under (right hands) + Left hand turn Lady under twice Gents crossing back to place	8 bars
Top Couples	Front promenade hold - Advance and retire twice	8 bars
Top Couples	Waltz hold - Slide advance and retire to right side (4 bars) + House to place (4 bars)	8 bars
All Couples	House at home	8 bars
Side Couples	Ladies across + dance at home with opposite Gent	8 bars
Side Couples	Gents across + Turn Lady under (right hands) + Left hand turn Lady under twice Gents crossing back to place	8 bars
Side Couples	Front promenade hold - Advance and retire twice + Waltz hold - Slide advance and retire to the side + House to place	16 bars
Side Couples	Ladies across + dance at home with opposite Gent + Gent across + Turn Lady under (right hands) + Turn Lady under twice (left hands)	16 bars
Side Couples	Front promenade hold - Advance and retire twice + Waltz hold - Advance and retire to the side + House to place	16 bars
All Couples	House at home + House the set and finish	16 bars

FIGURE 4 (REEL - 256 BARS)

FIGURE 5 (JIG - 160 BARS)

In this figure Tops gallop across (2 bars) followed immediately by Sides (2 bars), then Tops back and sides back. Couples should not turn when they reach the opposite side. In each repeat the Ladies who started as Tops start the gallops and Ladies chain half way.

All Couples	Lead around, turn the Lady under + Swing in waltz hold + House the set	24 bars
Tops + Sides	Waltz hold - Tops gallop across [1-2-3-4-5-6-7], Gents back to back (2 bars) [don't turn] + Sides gallop across ( 2 bars) + Tops gallop back + Sides back	8 bars
Tops + Sides	Top Ladies chain half way (right hands in centre - 2 bars) + Side Ladies chain half way (2 bars) + Ladies turn under with opposite Gent (left hands - 2 bars) + Gent passes Lady to the Gent on his left + Gent turns new partner under (right hands)	8 bars
All Couples	Swing new partner + House the set	16 bars
Tops + Sides	Tops gallop across + Side gallop across + Tops back + Sides back	8 bars
Tops + Sides	Top Ladies chain half way + Side Ladies chain half way + Ladies turn under opposite Gent's left hand + Ladies pass to Gent's left + Ladies turn under new partner's right hand	8 bars
All Couples	Swing new partner + House the set	16 bars
Tops + Sides	Tops gallop across + Side gallop across + Tops back + Sides back	8 bars
Tops + Sides	Top Ladies chain half way + Side Ladies chain half way + Ladies turn under opposite Gent's left hand + Ladies pass to Gent's left + Ladies turn under new partner's right hand	8 bars
All Couples	Swing new partner + House the set	16 bars
Tops + Sides	Tops gallop across + Side gallop across + Tops back + Sides back	8 bars
Tops + Sides	Top Ladies chain half way + Side Ladies chain half way + Ladies turn under opposite Gent's left hand + Ladies pass to Gent's left + Ladies turn under right hand of original partner	8 bars
All Couples	Swing own partner + House the set	16 bars

FIGURE 6 (REEL - 192 BARS)

All Couples	Lead around, turn the Lady under + House at home	16 bars
All Couples	House the set + House at home	16 bars
Ladies	Advance and retire twice [1-2-123]	8 bars
Gents + Ladies	Gents form right hand star in centre and lead around clockwise (4 bars) + Change to left hand star and lead back to place (4 bars). As they return to place Ladies dance to the position on their right turning clockwise twice	8 bars
All Couples	House at home	8 bars
All Couples	House the set + House at home	16 bars
Ladies	Advance and retire twice [1-2-123]	8 bars
Gents + Ladies	Gents form left hand star in centre and lead around clockwise (4 bars) + Change to right hand star and lead back to place (4 bars). As they return to place Ladies dance to the position on their right turning clockwise twice	8 bars
All Couples	House at home	8 bars
All Couples	House the set + House at home	16 bars
Ladies	Advance and retire twice [1-2-123]	8 bars
Gents + Ladies	Gents form right hand star in centre and lead around clockwise (4 bars) + Change to left hand star and lead back to place (4 bars). As they return to place Ladies dance to the position on their right turning clockwise twice	8 bars
All Couples	House at home	8 bars
All Couples	House the set + House at home	16 bars
Ladies	Advance and retire twice [1-2-123]	8 bars
Gents + Ladies	Gents form left hand star in centre and lead around clockwise (4 bars) + Change to right hand star and lead back to place (4 bars). As they return to place Ladies dance to the position on their right turning clockwise twice	8 bars
All Couples	House at home + House the set	16 bars

REFERENCES

Moylan, Terry (1985). Irish Dances. Na Piobairi Ulleann: Dublin. 39-45.

Murphy, Pat (1995). Toss the Feathers. Mercier Press: Cork. 183-185.

Quinn, Tom (1997). Irish Dancing. HarperCollins: Glasgow. 355-363.

Page created by: Arthur Kingsland