SLIABH LUACHRA SET
This dance comes from the Sliabh Luachra area between Kerry, Cork and Limerick. The Sliabh Luachre Set can be found on Volume 7 of the video series "The Magic of Irish Set Dancing" featuring Timmy and Rona McCarthy. It has been published in Pat Murphy's "Toss the Feathers". Joe O'Hara has an online version of the Sliabh Luachra Set as does Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann [Cooley-Keegan Branch of San Francisco] and the Irish-American Lobby Education Foundation. The Brooks Academy have a PDF version available for downoading.
FORMATION
Square Set of four couples, Gents on the left of their partners. 1st Top Couple have their backs to the band. 1st Side Couple are on their left of 1st Top Couple (when facing into the set), 2nd Top Couple opposite and 2nd Side Couple on the right of 1st Tops. The progression of the active couple is 1st Tops, 1st Sides, 2nd Tops, 2nd Sides.
FIGURE 1: POLKAS (160 BARS)
| All Couples | Polka body: Dance in and out (in-23-out-23) [2 bars] + House on one place to the right [2 bars] + Repeat 3 times (in, out & turn on) until back in place | 16 bars |
| Top Couples | Ladies Chain: Ladies give right hands in the centre + Left hand to Opposite Gent and turn under then dance around behind + Right hands on the way back | 8 bars |
| Top Couples | Swing Partner (waltz hold) | 8 bars |
| All Couples | Polka Body | 16 bars |
| Side Couples | Ladies Chain + Swing | 16 bars |
| All Couples | Polka Body | 16 bars |
| Top Couples | Ladies Chain + Swing | 16 bars |
| All Couples | Polka Body | 16 bars |
| Side Couples | Ladies Chain + Swing | 16 bars |
| All Couples | Polka Body | 16 bars |
| All Couples | House the set | 8 bars |
FIGURE 2: POLKAS (160 BARS)
| All Couples | Polka body | 16 bars |
| 1st Top Couple | House inside [8 bars] + Slide in (in-close-123 out-close-123) + House in place [4 bars] | 16 bars |
| All Couples | Polka Body | 16 bars |
| 1st Side Couple | House inside + Slide in, Slide out + House in place | 16 bars |
| All Couples | Polka Body | 16 bars |
| 2nd Top Couple | House inside + Slide in, Slide out + House in place | 16 bars |
| All Couples | Polka Body | 16 bars |
| 2nd Side Couple | House inside + Slide in, Slide out + House in place | 16 bars |
| All Couples | Polka Body | 16 bars |
| All Couples | House the set | 8 bars |
FIGURE 3: POLKAS or JIGS (160 BARS)
Joe O'Hara's version has this figure danced to 'down' jigs.
| All Couples | Polka body | 16 bars |
| Top Couples | Slide and Change: Slide in + Slide out + House across to Opposite place + Repeat to home | 16 bars |
| All Couples | Polka Body | 16 bars |
| Side Couples | Slide and change across and back | 16 bars |
| All Couples | Polka Body | 16 bars |
| Top Couples | Slide and change across and back | 16 bars |
| All Couples | Polka Body | 16 bars |
| Side Couples | Slide and change across and back | 16 bars |
| All Couples | Polka Body | 16 bars |
| All Couples | House the set | 8 bars |
FIGURE 4: POLKA (88 BARS)
This version is as described by Joe O'Hara and Pat Murphy.
| All Couples | Front promenade hold - Lead around | 8 bars |
| All Couples | Left hand in left - Lady turns under Gent's arm 4 times | 8 bars |
| All Couples | Ladies chain: Right hands in centre + Left hand to Opposite Gent and turn under then dance around behind + Right hands in centre to place | 8 bars |
| All Couples | Swing Partner | 8 bars |
| All Couples | Lead around + Turn Ladies under + Ladies Chain + Swing Partner | 32 bars |
| All Couples | Lead around + Turn Ladies under | 16 bars |
This version is as demonstrated byTimmy and Rhona McCarthy in the video series Come Dance with me in Ireland.
| All Couples | Back the Lady: Face partner + Ladies hands on Partner's upper arms / Gent's hands on Partner's waist - Dance around anticlockwise (Lady backwards / Gent forwards) | 8 bars |
| All Couples | House around | 8 bars |
| All Couples | Ladies chain: Right hands in centre + Left hand to Opposite Gent and turn under then dance around behind + Right hands in centre to place | 8 bars |
| All Couples | Swing Partner | 8 bars |
| All Couples | Back the lady + House | 16 bars |
| All Couples | Ladies Chain + Swing Partner | 16 bars |
| All Couples | Back the lady + House | 16 bars |
FIGURE 5: SLIDES (232 BARS)
| Top Couples | House around Opposite Couple | 8 bars |
| Top Couples | Slide and Change: Slide in, Slide out + House across + Repeat to home | 16 bars |
| Top Couples | House around + Slide and change across and back + House around | 32 bars |
| Side Couples | House around + Slide and change across and back + House around + Slide and change across and back + House around | 56 bars |
| Top Couples | House around + Slide and change across and back + House around + Slide and change across and back + House around | 56 bars |
| Side Couples | House around + Slide and change across and back + House around + Slide and change across and back + House around | 56 bars |
FIGURE 6: HORNPIPES (160 BARS)
See the notes on footwork.
| All Couples |
Hornpipe Body: Dance in and back [hop-1-2-3 hop-1-2-3] + Dance on to the next place anticlockwise [2 bars] + Repeat until back in place | 16 bars |
| All Couples | House the set (Doubling the last two bars) | 8 bars |
| All Couples | Ladies walk on: Ladies walk on (inside) to the Gent on the right / Gents stand in place (see below for an alternative progression) | 8 bars |
| All Couples | Hornpipe Body + House the Set + Ladies walk on | 32 bars |
| All Couples | Hornpipe Body + House the Set + Ladies walk on | 32 bars |
| All Couples | Hornpipe Body + House the Set + Ladies walk on to Original Partner | 32 bars |
| All Couples | Hornpipe Body + House the Set | 24 bars |
Alternative Progression:
Joe O'Hara's notes that in the modern version of this figure the Ladies walk on is replaced with:
All Couples: Join hands in a circle - Advance and retire + Advance + Gents - lift their left arm over their head to bring the Lady on their left behind and into place taking waltz hold ready for the Hornpipe body.
Hornpipe Footwork
Ladies:
- Normal Hornpipe step:
- Hop-L Step-R-L-R Hop-R Step-L-R-L +
- Doubled Hornpipe step:
- Hop-L Step-R Hop-R Step-L Hop-L Step-R Hop-R Step-L
Gents:
- Normal Hornpipe step:
- Hop-Right Step-L-R-L Hop-Left Step-R-L-R +
- Doubled Hornpipe step:
- Hop-R Step-L Hop-L Step-R Hop-R Step-L Hop-L Step-R
REFERENCES
Murphy, Pat (1995). Toss the Feathers. Cork: Mercier Press. 198-199.