Mullingar, a market town in County Westmeath, lies about 50 miles west of Dublin in a largely agricultural region. The town’s name comes from the Irish An Muilleann Cearr, meaning “the wry mill” or “the left-handed mill,” a reference to a legendary mill featured in a 7th-century tale involving St. Colman of Lynn.

The reel associated with Mullingar was popularized by renowned fiddlers Paddy Sweeney and Paddy Killoran, who recorded it as a duet in New York in 1931. For a related tune, see also “The Reel of Darragh.”