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I composed this during a visit to Donegal in 1970. I named it after Donal Ward of Carrick, who played the accordion and later became a member of the Irish police force. His insistence on my playing it in public probably saved the tune from being discarded in some eternal dustbin.
G3 F | DG GF GA BA | Gg gf gf dc | F F2 A cFAc |
df cA GA FA | DG GF GA BA | Gg gf gf dc | F F2 A cFAc |
df cA AG GF || DGGF GABA | Gg gf gfdc | F3 A cF Ac |
df cA GA FA | DG GA GABA | Gg gf gf dc | F F2 A cF Ac |
df cA A G3 || d/e/f ga ba b/a/g | ag fe fe fd |{/e} cAfA gAfG |
A/=B/c fa gf dc | df ga ba b/a/g | ag fe fe fd |{/e} ccAc FAcf |
dc BA BG G2 || d/e/f ga babc' | ag fe fe fd |{/e} cA fA gAfG |
A/=B/c fa gf dc | df ga ba b/a/g | ag fe fe fd |{/e} c2 Ac FAcf |
dc BA B G2 F || DG GF GA BA | Gggf gfdc | F F2 A cFAc |
df cA GA FA | DG GF GA BA | Gg gf gf dc | F F2 A cFAc |
df cA A G2 F || DG GF GA BA | Gggf gf dc | F F2 A cFAc |
df cA GA FA | DG GF GA BA | Gg gf gf dc | F F2 A cFAc |
dfcA A G3 || df ga ba b/a/g | ag fe f3 d |{/e} cAfA gA fG |
A/=B/c fa gf dc | df ga ba b/a/g | ag fe fe fd |{/e} ccAc FAcf |
dc{/A} BA BG G2 || d/e/f ga ba b/a/g | ag fe fe fd | cA fA gA fG |
A/=B/c fa gf dc | df ga ba b/a/g | ag fe fe fd |{/e} ccAc FAcf |
dc BA BG G2- | G6 |