Most-Recorded Marches
The Top Ten Marches of the Century

Of related interest:
  • Top 100 Tunes of the Century.
  • Top Ten
  • Rhythm Distribution: How common is this rhythm (tune type) in the bigger picture of all distinct Irish tunes?
  • Recordings by Decade: A graph of the historical distribution of the recordings considered here.

This list ranks the top ten most-recorded marches out of the 82 distinct marches on the indexed recordings. The tunes are ranked in descending order of number of recordings. When tunes have the same number of recordings, tunes having the oldest recordings appear first. Note that reuses of a particular cut in later anthologies are counted, which is fair, since the popularity of a recording is a good indicator both of the popularity of the tune and of the likelihood that musicians will learn the tune from that recording.

Click Tune Info below to see tune details and sources.

RankNumber of
Recordings		Explanation
Titles used for this tune (and other notes)
19 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Maguire's KickMaguire's Kick / [misspelled as:] Maguires Kick / Maguire's Clan March / McGuire's / McGuire's March (also as double jig included here under the titles The Rolling Waves / The Lonesome Jig / Bill the Weaver, and as single jig titled Maguire's Kick)
27 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Battle of AughrimBattle of Aughrim, The / Battle of Aughrim / After the Battle of Aughrim / Cath Eachroma / Cath Eachdhruime (compare with 1st 2 parts of Welcome Home Royal Charlie #2044)
35 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Return from FingalReturn from Fingal, The / Fingal March / The March to the Battle / The Battle of Aughrim
45 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Bonaparte Crossing the RhineBonaparte Crossing the Rhine / Napoleon Crossing the Rhine / Napoleon Crossing the Alps / Bonaparte Crossing the Alps / Bony Crossing the Alps / Tom Ash's March / The Ashe March (also in E) (compare as hornpipe #1133 and as song #1122; 1st part is used as accompaniment to song Wexford Fisherman #4435) (compare old-time setting as Bonaparte Crossing the Rocky Mountains)
54 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of O'Sullivan the GreatO'Sullivan the Great / The Officer on Guard / I Won't Be a Nun / I Wont Be a Nun / Won't Be a Nun (also with a 3rd part) (compare Irish Freedom March #3104) (also as songs I'll Marry and I'll Never Be a Nun / The Better that He Longed for Never Came)
64 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of I'll Mend Your Pots and Kettles OI'll Mend Your Pots and Kettles O / I'll Mend your Pots and Kettles O' / I'll Mend Your Pots and Kettles / The Ennis March (1st in set Pots and Kettles O on Dnu 5) (also parts reversed, also in D, also as song-air)
73 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Boys of WexfordBoys of Wexford, The / Boys of Ireland (also in D, also as song) (compare The Boys of Wexford included here in book FF and compare Low Low Lands of Holland #2361)
83 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Brian Boru's MarchBrian Boru's March / Brian Ború's March (also in B Minor or A Minor, also without 3rd part, also with a 4th part)
93 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Lord MayoLord Mayo (1st in set Eanáir on Lu 7) (composed by David Murphy aka Dáithí Ó Murchadha)
103 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Give Me Your HandGive Me Your Hand / Tabhair Dom Do Lámh / Tabhair Dom Do Lamh / Tabair Dam Do Lamh / Da Mihi Manum (also as song) (composed by Rory Dall O'Cathain / Rory Dall O'Cahan [Blind Roger O'Keane])
Please cite your source when you share information from this document.
This page was updated on 29 June 2008.
© 2006–2008 Alan Ng, agng@facstaff.wisc.edu. Questions? Comments? Please use the easy Feedback Form. Thank you!
Start at