The Lark in the Morning

The jig went by several names, among them "A Western Lilt," before most players settled on "The Lark in the Morning" in the second half of the 20th century. Piper and collector Seamus Ennis believed it grew out of an older tune called "The Lark's March."

Patrick Clancy recorded it under this title in 1919 and accordion player Peter Conlon in 1923. Sligo fiddler James Morrison's four part recording of 1926 did the most to fix the version heard today, and he paired it with "The Wandering Minstrel," as many players still do. Clare piper Willie Clancy said he learned it from his mother, Ellen Killeen, a concertina player from Ennistymon.