Banish Misfortune

Banish Misfortune is a traditional Irish jig typically played in D Mixolydian, structured as a three-part tune in 6/8 meter. The melody dates back to at least the 19th century, with early printed appearances including Howe’s 1000 Jigs and Reels around 1867 under the title The Bag of Meal, and in P.W. Joyce’s Ancient Irish Music in 1873. The tune carries numerous alternate titles including The Humours of Mullinafauna, Nancy Hines (or Hynes), and The Little Bag of Meal. Among the earliest known recordings is a wax cylinder made by County Tipperary fiddler Edward Cronin in the early 1900s, which Francis O’Neill used as a source for his 1907 Dance Music of Ireland collection. The tune has been recorded by The Chieftains on Chieftains 2 and Chieftains Live, Tommy Peoples on Traditional Irish Music Played on the Fiddle, Willie Clancy, Johnny O’Leary, and many others.