The Shrove time set

The music for this set was transcribed in 1926 from the renowned fiddle player Eugene O’Sullivan, Moulcore in 1926. The knowledge of the steps that were danced to the music have not surfaced to date.

The Shrove time set is marked as a quadrille. A quadrille is a type of dance that originates from the European mainland. It is typically but not necessarily a dance for four couples with each couple forming a single side of a square. The dance is normally executed in five distinct figures. It developed from the cotillon, an earlier form of square dance, and became popular in the French court of the early 19th century. It is thought that the introduction of the dance may have been as a result of soldiers returning from the Napoleonic wars. Travelling dance masters would have facilitated the dissemination of the dancing style throughout the length and breadth of the country.