A favorite among Irish pipers, the tune takes its name from a “hob,” originally a raised surface in the fireplace next to the cooking fire, where a kettle or pot could be placed to warm. In modern usage, a hob can also refer to a hotplate used for boiling water. Uilleann piper Séamus Ennis explained that one of the tune’s Irish names can be rendered as “Piper on the Hob” or “Piper of the Embers,” a poetic reference to the musical chirping of the cricket.