Alan Davies Planxty Irwin
Planxty Irwin (Colonel John Irwin),
Longways for 4 couples,
with 3s and 4s improper
Tune: Planxty Irwin

Al 1-4 1s lead down two laces and cast up one place to face partner
       while the 2s move up to top and lead down to face 4s while the 3s
       long cast up to top place and stand still while the 4s face up an
       greet each couple reaching them. 
   5-8 Bottom three couples grand chain 4 places (beginning with the
       person you are facing (2s face 4s and 1s face each other) and
       ending with 3s improper, 2s improper; 4s proper and 1s proper)
A2 1-4 1s (at bottom place) lead up two places and cast down one
       place to face partner while the next couple (4s) move to bottom
       and lead up to face tops while the next couple (2s) long cast to
       bottom place and stand still while tops (3s) face down and greet
       each couple reaching them;
   5-8 Top three couples grand chain 4 places (ending 1s proper; 
       3s proper, 4s improper, 2s improper) At this point each dancer 1s
       facing his or her “friend.”
B1 1-8 Taking three steps per change, men and women dance
       diagonal interlocking reels of four without hands (see below).
B2 1-4 Ends (original 1s and 2s), with the women in the lead, 
       single file halfway around the set while middles set and turn single.
       (1W and 2W turn over their right shoulders at the end of the chase.)
   5-8 Partners two-hand turn.
Repeat three times. The progression is 2-3-4-1.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRyCbEKoQEg
Teaching Tips: This is a challenging but satisfying dance and one that must be danced very slowly—not as a waltz, but in slow triple time. To locate your “friend,” (sometimes known as a shadow or a trail buddy), middles star left halfway and face out. Your friend will be a dancer of the same gender role as you: thus, 2M and 4M are friends and 1W and 3W are friends.

The interlocking reels are quite tricky and need to move along in order to be successful. Alan says, “the reels really flow, although the music is not rushed. I encourage the dancers to lean into the curves of the reels to achieve the movement without hands; i.e., move like aeroplanes rather than toy trains, which is what happens when dancers take hands. The interlocking reels begin with dancers passing their “friends” by the right shoulder. Practice the reels using half right-hand turns on the ends and half left-hand stars in the middles until everyone knows where to go. Alan also notes that the TW and the 2W must turn over their right shoulders at the end of the single file chase.