The Clare Lancers Set: Tradition and Evolution

FOR MOST OF US set dancers, the idea that the original Lancers set from County Clare was not always danced to reels could seem very strange indeed. The evolution of our beloved dances have an interesting past, as told by Larry Lynch in his extensive and beautiful book, Set Dances of Ireland: Tradition and Evolution (1989).

This trove is based on oral history told by dancers from each area, and is a written  and illustrated record of music, musicians, dances and dance style from counties Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Limerick and Clare. Larry Lynch has very kindly agreed to allow me to re-produce the following chapter (Italics text) on The Lancers.

The Set in Local Tradition: Crusheen, Co.Clare: The Lancers
Joe McNamara first saw the Lancers in about 1931. Joe learned the Lancers from John Kinley, who brought the set to the area from South Galway. John Kinley was about twenty years older than Joe.

“Joe Kinley picked it up at a wedding in South Galway. At the time, there were kitchen house dances maybe only three times a year. It was hard to see all the figures. John Kinley was anxious for everyone to dance the Lancers, but no-one knew how to dance it. No-one knew the full set, only himself. There might be only two in the house who knew it, and they weren’t too clear about it either.”

 Joe McNamara recalls, House dances stopped during the war (World War II) because they were illegal. The gardaí would come and close them down. The government wanted the revenue and tax. Priests stopped the house dances but they built parochial halls and got licenses and had their own dances.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuSD6iUR7Cg

 “Céilithe were started during the late forties and early fifties by Irish language teachers. No sets were allowed because sets were not considered Irish. Sets were danced at an odd get-together in the home – a return from England, or a wedding. Comhaltas (Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann) organised the first Fleadh Cheoil in Athlone in 1953 and started reviving set dancing. The Caledonian Set was danced in the competitions. Because of emigration, there were no crowds to dance, so the generation of the fifties missed out. Modern music and show bands became popular, so today, people between the ages of thirty and fifty can’t dance.”

 “I often saw John Kinley in pubs and he was anxious for the two of us to get the Lancers going. And we would often go through it in the pubs, having an old chat about the sets. He always hinted on me that we should get it going.”

Joe McNamara revived the Lancers in 1980. “ I had to go back in my memory and remember the set as I saw Kinley dancing it, and work out one figure from another until I go the shape of a set. I might see that dancing in my young days, and I might no see that set danced twice in a year. There was that drawback that I had to remember the set after not dancing it for forty years. I usen’t to sleep, and I often went through a figure (while unable to sleep). I was teaching set dancing at Crusheen at the time. I did it one figure at a time. I had to take figure one, do that and see how it worked out. Then onto the next figure. It took a lot of memorizing.”

Joe says about the Lancers “ When Joe Kinley danced it, it was danced to polkas. I revived it to reels because dancers today prefer reels.” According to Joe McNamara, the dancing speed of the music at two beats per measure used to be: polkas 102 beats per minute. Today, the dancing speed of the music at two beats per measure is: reels 123 beats per minute.

Pauline McNamara, Joe’s niece, told me recently that her father, Paddy McNamara, always insisted that the dance be done at a “slow and easy pace”. And polkas at 51 bars per minute, is certainly much slower than now- often around 60-70 bars per minute for polkas.

She also told me that the (Clare) Lancers, as it became, was an instant hit at competitions and social dances because it was a set with five reels – no jig. They won everything, every competition they entered – Paddy McNamara and Biddy McNamara (photo below), Eoin and Mary Donnell, Muriel and Danny Liddy; Catherine Brigdale, Pete Connors and Kevin O’Brien, with Joe McNamara as the manager of the group.

Now, about twenty-five people dance the Lancers in the Crusheen area. Joe and Biddie McNamara have also taught the Lancers every summer since 1983 at the Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, in Miltown Malbay, Co.Clare.

Photo of Biddie and Joe McNamara

Biddie and Joe McNamara © Larry Lynch

We all know that there are now thousands of dancers happily dancing the Clare Lancers all over the world. In addition, Larry Lynch said to me in an email recently:

“Joe and Biddie McNamara were wonderful people and very gracious to me.  Joe and Biddie knew their subject well; they deserve to be recognized and honored for passing on the tradition.  Biddie was one of the most beautiful and graceful female set dancers I encountered in twenty-seven years of research and teaching set dancing in Ireland.”

Music, people and place are absolutely key to any Irish set dance, and Larry Lynch has also recorded some of that information for the Lancers.

Musicians: The Lancers Set
Some of the popular musicians who played the fiddle were: Katie Costello (later played with Michael Coleman in America), Rathclooney; Delia (also played the concertina), Mary and Winnie Littleton, Drumbaniff, Crusheen.

Others who played the concertina were: Mrs. Cunneen, James and John Costello, Rathclooney; James McInerney, Drumbaniff, Crusheen; James McNamara, Drumbaniff, Crusheen.

Those who played the accordion were: Joe McNamara (played with the Tulla Céilí Band 1953 until 1963), Drumbaniff, Crusheen. Patsie Kinley (John Kinley’s father), O’Brien’s Castle, Crusheen, played the flute. Petie Littleton, Drumbaniff, Crusheen, played the tin whistle and the concert flute. (There is also an extensive list of tunes, for anyone interested).

Homes: The Lancers Set
When Joe McNamara was young, set dancing was done at house dances. Some of the homes where sets were danced were: Joe Kinley’s, O’Brien’s Castle, Crusheen; James McNamara’s (Joe’s father), Drumbaniff, Crusheen; Mickie Littleton’s, Drumbaniff, Crusheen; Paddy O’Connor’s, Cappafean, Crusheen.

My great thanks to Larry Lynch for taking the time to record all this amazing information, and agreeing to let me share it here.

Larry sadly passed away in December 2021, and leaves a valuable legacy to all who love Clare sets.

Set Dances of Ireland: Tradition and Evolution (1989) is available for purchase via Amazon.

Enjoy your dancing.
Nora Stewart
Irish Bliss

Your Top 10 Irish Set Dances 2015 – 2017

I thought it was time to have a look at all the votes over the last three years (2,602), just to make sure that there is some consistency and a proper pattern to the results, not just a random set of numbers. You can find annual poll results from 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Happy to say there is definitely a pattern: a beautiful set of numbers, if you’ll pardon the pun. In fact, the 80/20 principle is very evident, with almost exactly 80% of the total vote over 3 years for just 20 sets, out of 230+ possible sets.

Which is just as well because I’m not much of a numbers gal myself – dyslexic with them most of the time. But, I can count to 8, which is mostly what you need to be able to do to dance a set.

RANK SET 2015-2017 vote total
% of vote total
1 Ballyvourney Jig 241 10%
2 Clare Plain 201 8%
3 Clare Lancers 174 7%
4 Connemara 170 7%
5 Cashel 130 5%
6 Merchant 126 5%
7 Claddagh 102 4%
8 Moycullen 101 4%
9 Antrim Square 95 4%
10 Corofin Plain 93 4%
11 Caledonian 83 3%
12 West Kerry 82 3%
13 Sliabh Luachra 72 3%
14 Kilfenora Plain 66 3%
15 Borlin 63 2%
16 Labasheeda 56 2%
17 Newport 52 2%
18 Paris 46 2%
18 Aran 35 1%
20 Mazurka 33 1%
    2021 78%

Thanks again to everyone who has voted, and to all those who have a passionate interest in our lovely dances. We’ll do it all again next year.

Best wishes,
Nora Stewart
 Irish Bliss

Your Top 10 Irish Set Dances 2017

THANKS to everyone who voted this year we had a smaller vote overall but there is  considerable consistency in the results of the top 10 set dances over the last 3 years – find the results here.

The Claddagh, Moycullen and the Antrim Square sets did very well this year compared with previous years… I feel the Down Under vote making its’ presence felt there!

82 sets got at least one vote, so while there is mass popularity of some sets, there is a healthy variety in favourite dances – worth considering for céilí and teaching programs.

However, the Clare  Lancers come out on top this year – a wonderfully playful set, as you can see by one of my absolute favourite dance film clips here:

And there’s no better person that likes to play and dance, than my special friend Michael W.  He specialises in getting  everyone “organised” for the alternative second figure… go figure! (Anyone who had danced at the Willie Clancy will know what and whom I speak about).

RANK 2017
SET NAME VOTES
1 Clare Lancers 28
2 Ballyvourney Jig 25
3 Claddagh 21
4 Moycullen 20
5= Antrim Square 19
5= Clare Plain (Reel) 19
5= Merchant 19
6= Cashel 18
6= Connemara Reel 18
7 Corofin Plain 16
8 Caledonian 12
9 Newport 11
10= Paris 10
10= West Kerry 10
11= Kilfenora Plain 9
11= Labasheeda 9
12= Borlin 8
12= Boyne 8
12= Mazurka 8
12= Rinkinstown 8
13= Black Valley Square Jig 7
13= Clare Orange and Green 7
13= North Kerry 7
13= Sliabh Luachra (AKA North Cork Polka) 7
14= Aran 6
14= Metal Bridge 6
14= Skibbereen 6
15= Caragh Lake Jig 5
15= Derrada 5
15= Williamstown 5
16= Hurry the Jug 4
16= South Kerry 4
17= Auban 3
17= Ballyvourney Reel 3
18= Ballycommon 2
18= Birr 2
18= Carrobeg Set 2
18= Connemara Jig (AKA Freres Nantes) 2
18= Corballa 2
18= Donegal 2
18= Durrow Threshing 2
18= Fermanagh 2
18= Fermanagh Quadrilles 2
18= Jack Canny Half 2
18= Kildownet Half 2
18= Laois Lancers 2
18= Melleray Lancers 2
18= Portmagee Jig Set (Meserts) 2
18= Sliabh Fraoch 2
18= South Galway Reel (AKA South Galway Half ) 2
18= South Sligo Lancers 2
19= Ardgroom Polka 1
19= Australian Half 1
19= Ballinvreenagh 1
19= Ballyfin 1
19= Ballykeale 1
19= Borlin Jenny 1
19= Caherciveen 1
19= Croisloch 1
19= Cuchulainn 1
19= Cuil Aodha 1
19= Dublin 1
19= Dunmanway 1
19= Inis Oirr 1
19= Jenny Lind 1
19= Kavaneg 1
19= Kilkenny Lancers 1
19= Knockanore 1
19= Limerick Orange and Green 1
19= Lusmagh 1
19= Meelick Polka 1
19= Moate 1
19= Monaghan 1
19= Newmarket Meserts 1
19= Newmarket Plain 1
19= Seit Chamus 1
19= Sidmouth 1
19= Sliabh gCua 1
19= Sligo 1
19= Templebeg 1
19= Valentia Right and Left 1
19= Waterford Jig 1
436

Thanks again and happy dancing.
Nora Stewart
Irish Bliss

 

Vote For Your Top 10 Irish Set Dances 2017

Aah, it’s been a while since my last post but I thought it would be nice to engage and see if dancers across the globe are interested in making their favourite sets known, like we did in 2015 and 2016.

I am just doing this for the craic – there are no prizes or accolades for the winning sets- just like there’s no prizes for set dancing:- we do it for the fun of it.

HOW IT WORKS

  • Pick your top 10 –  Tick up to 10 sets you love dancing the most you can add up to 10 additional sets at the bottom if your favourites are not listed. PLEASE ADD THEM ALL INTO THE ONE BOX – OTHER- with a comma between each set name.
  • Your favorite NEW set? I suggest you add these into the COMMENTS box below if you especially want to highlight that, and I will include a listing in the final results.
  • Vote once – You can only vote once, so choose carefully.
  • Closes – This poll is open for 1 week until around midnight Sunday 7th January 2018.
  • Final results – full results will be published on Monday 8th January 2018.  You can also see how it’s going by returning to this post and clicking on VIEW RESULTS at the bottom of the sets list.
  • Privacy – no private information is collected in this survey- completely anonymous.
  • Can’t see the poll below? Switch from private browsing in your internet browser may help. (Sorry, can’t do much about that for those worried about privacy.)
  • PLEASE SHARE this poll. Thank-you!
Take Our Poll

Happy dancing!

Nora Stewart
Irish Bliss

Your Top 5 Sets for 2016

Thank-you everyone for your 669 votes over a 2 week period…and the winners are:

RANK SET NAME
VOTES
1 Merchant 52
2 Ballyvourney Jig 47
3 Clare Lancers 44
4 Connemara  (aka Connemara Reel ) 34
5 Clare Plain (Reel) 33
6 Cashel 26
7 Caledonian 22
8 West Kerry 20
9= Antrim Square 18
9= Aran 18
9= Claddagh 18
9= Moycullen 18
10= Borlin 14
10= Clare Orange and Green 14
10= Corofin Plain 14
10= Kilfenora Plain 14
11 Croisloch 13
12= Caragh Lake Jig 12
12= Paris 12
12= Sliabh Luachra (aka North Cork Polka ) 12
13= Labasheeda 11
13= Metal Bridge 11
14= Newport 10
14= Rinkinstown 10
15 Camp 8
16 North Kerry 7
17= Black Valley Square Jig 6
17= Boyne 6
17= Connemara Jig (aka Freres Nantes) 6
17= Derrada 6
17= Hurry the Jug 6
17= South Sligo Lancers 6
18= Auban 5
18= Ballycommon 5
18= Sliabh gCua 5
19= Armagh 4
19= Corballa 4
19= Kildownet Half 4
19= South Galway Reel(aka South Galway Half & South Galway Half ) 4
19= South Kerry 4
20= Ballyduff 3
20= Borlin Jenny 3
20= Clare Plain Polka 3
20= Dublin 3
20= Glencree 3
20= Mazurka 3
20= Melleray Lancers 3
20= Roscommon Lancers 3
20= Sliabh Fraoch 3

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Your Top 5 Irish Set Dances

Well, the results are in and by popular vote, it looks like the classic sets are still the most popular. We had 1,469 votes altogether from many different parts of the globe-thank-you!

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