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50 Most Popular Irish Session Tunes (Ranked by Data)

What is the most popular Irish session tune? Instead of guessing, we ranked tunes by how many tunebooks they appear in. More tunebooks = more widely played across sessions worldwide.

By Martin Wells •

How This Ranking Was Calculated

The ranking is based on tunebook appearances from aggregated session data. Tunes that appear in more tunebooks are statistically more likely to be session standards.

Important: This does not measure “best” – only “most widely shared and played”.

Top 5 Most Popular Irish Session Tunes

🧾 Open Top 5 as Setlist (instant session starter) 🌌 View set in Galaxy
1. Drowsy Maggie (Reel)
🌌 View in Galaxy 🎵 Tune Page
Chord transitions for Drowsy Maggie
Harmonic profile of Drowsy Maggie – the most widely shared session reel.
2. The Kesh (Jig)
🌌 View in Galaxy 🎵 Tune Page
Chord transitions for The Kesh
The Kesh – one of the most recognised session standards worldwide.
3. Cooley’s (Reel)
🌌 View in Galaxy 🎵 Tune Page
Chord transitions for Cooley’s Reel
Cooley’s Reel – a foundational session tune with strong D major movement.
4. The Butterfly (Slip Jig)
🌌 View in Galaxy 🎵 Tune Page
Chord transitions for The Butterfly
The Butterfly – a melodic slip jig that appears in thousands of tunebooks.
5. Morrison’s (Jig)
🌌 View in Galaxy 🎵 Tune Page
Chord transitions for Morrison’s Jig
Morrison’s Jig – a driving session favourite with strong harmonic identity.

If you attend sessions regularly, you’ve almost certainly played several of these.

The Full Top 50

  1. Drowsy Maggie
  2. The Kesh
  3. Cooley’s
  4. The Butterfly
  5. Morrison’s
  6. The Silver Spear
  7. Banish Misfortune
  8. The Maid Behind the Bar
  9. Out on the Ocean
  10. The Banshee
  11. The Wind That Shakes the Barley
  12. Tam Lin
  13. The Musical Priest
  14. The Connaughtman’s Rambles
  15. The Swallowtail
  16. The Blarney Pilgrim
  17. The Rights of Man
  18. King of the Fairies
  19. The Harvest Home
  20. The Kid on the Mountain
  21. The Lilting Banshee
  22. The Gravel Walks
  23. Sí Bheag Sí Mhór
  24. The Sally Gardens
  25. The Lark in the Morning
  26. The Mountain Road
  27. Saint Anne’s
  28. The Mason’s Apron
  29. The Cliffs of Moher
  30. Calliope House
  31. The Boys of Bluehill
  32. Off to California
  33. The Star of Munster
  34. Inisheer
  35. The Cup of Tea
  36. Tripping Up the Stairs
  37. The Merry Blacksmith
  38. The Congress
  39. Toss the Feathers
  40. John Ryan’s
  41. The Irish Washerwoman
  42. The Bucks of Oranmore
  43. The Morning Dew
  44. Miss McLeod’s
  45. The Wise Maid
  46. A Fig for a Kiss
  47. My Darling Asleep
  48. The Road to Lisdoonvarna
  49. The Britches Full of Stitches
  50. The Blackthorn Stick

What Patterns Do We See?

  • Reels dominate the very top.
  • D and G major appear frequently.
  • Many are core “first session” tunes.
These tunes form the backbone of Irish session repertoire globally.

If You're New to Sessions

Start with: - Drowsy Maggie - The Kesh - Cooley’s - The Silver Spear - The Maid Behind the Bar If you can comfortably play those, you’ll survive most sessions.

Explore Them Visually

You can explore how these tunes cluster harmonically in the Song Galaxy

Pro Tip: Learn 5 tunes from the same harmonic cluster and practise transitioning between them.

FAQ

What is the single most popular Irish tune?

Based on tunebook data, Drowsy Maggie appears most frequently.

Are reels more popular than jigs?

Among the top-ranked tunes, reels appear slightly more frequently at the very top.

Does popularity vary by country?

Yes – local sessions can favour regional standards, but the top 20 here are globally recognised.