Sonny Brogan was a Dublin accordion player who died in 1966, and his name is known throughout all of Ireland by traditional musicians. Sonny frequently sat in with fellow accordionist Bill Harte for weekly sessions of talk and music. On one particular evening, Sonny was feeling depressed because he was out of work. He suddenly told his friend Bill, “I’m emigrating to England for to find a job.” Bill was surprised and disappointed, but decided he’d host a going-away party for Sonny at his house. The night came, with many musicians gathered. Much drink was the order of the evening because of Bill’s generosity. When the party was over, everyone shook hands with Sonny, wishing him success and a safe journey for his trip to England the following day. The next evening, Bill Harte was sitting in a pub, wondering how Sonny was getting on-if he was safe, and if he would have much trouble locating a job in London. Suddenly the door opens, and in walks Sonny, explaining that he had a change of heart about the whole affair. Now Bill is upset, reminding Sonny how expensive the going-away party was and Sonny felt very guilty about his false alarm. Both of them used to play this particular reel together, but never had a name for it. A friend of theirs, Larry Dillon, is credited with naming it ‘Sonny’s Return’ after he heard of Sonny’s short-lived search for work. (Sonny later got a job at the Dublin Zoo in Phoenix Park.) The version of the reel as played here is to be found nowhere except on a recording of Sonny himself. I learned it from a small reel-to-reel recording taped by John Kelly in the Pipers Club, in Thomas Street, Dublin, in 1959.

 c4 d4 | eA{/B} AB cBAG | EG{/c} GG AGEG | eA AB cBAG |
 AB cd efgf | eA AB cB AG | EG{/c} GG AGEG | AB ce ag eG |
 Ac BG A2 cd || eA AB cB AG | EG{/c} GG AGEG | eA AB cBAG |
 AB cd efgf | eA AB cB AG | EG{/c} GG AGEG | AB ce ag eG |
 Ac BG A2 AB || c2 ec gc ec | cc eg aege | cc ec gcec |
 dded cAAB | c2 ec gc ec | cc eg ag ed | ec' ba ge dB |
 Ad BG A3 B || c2 ec gc ec | cc eg ae ge | cc ec gc ec |
 dd ed c A2 B | c2 ec gcec | cd eg ag ed | ec' ba ge dB |
 Ad BG AB cd || eA AB cB AG | EG{/c} GG AGEG | eA AB cB AG |
 AB cd ef gf | eA AB cBAG | EG{/c} GG AGEG | ABce ageG |
 Ad BG A2 cd || eA AB cB AG | EG{/c} GG AGEG | eAAB cBAG |
 AB cd ef gf | eA AB cB AG | EG{/c} GG AGEG | AB ce ag eG |
 Ad BG A3 B || c2 ec gc ec | cc eg ae ge | cc ec gc ec |
 dd ed cAAB | c2 ec gc ec | cc eg ag ed | ec' ba ge dB |
 Ad BG A3 B || c2 ec gcec | cc eg ae ge | ccec gcec |
 dded cAAB | c2 ec gcec | cd eg ag ed | ec' ba ge dB |
 Ad BG A4- | A4 |