Kesh Jig

The Kesh Jig is one of the most widely played Irish jigs in the world, to the point where it has become, for many non-initiates, the very definition of an Irish jig. Its earliest known transcription dates from the 1850s, in George Petrie's collection, under the title Tear the Callies. Its current name refers to Kesh, a village in County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland — an anglicisation of the Gaelic ceis, meaning "wattle bridge." Another alternative title, The Castle, most likely refers to Crevenish Castle, located on the outskirts of the village.

It was the Bothy Band who gave it its current popularity under the title Kesh, largely through their live album After Hours. The tune had already been known by a dozen different names — Kerrigan's Jig, The Rambler Jig, Spring Well — and had been circulating in sessions long before them.

A jig in G major with immediate accessibility, it is today often regarded as a beginner's piece, which has earned it a somewhat unfair reputation: it is in fact an excellent tune to close a set, as its infectious energy guarantees a rousing finale whenever everyone in the room knows it.