"Garryowen", also known as "Garry Owen" (and Garyowen, Gary Owen and Gary Owens), is an Irish dance tune (MIDI file) of the 1800s which became the marching tune for the US 7th Cavalry Regiment during the late 1800's. The tune was a favorite of General George Armstrong Custer and became the official air of the Regiment in 1867. According to legend it was the last tune played before the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
The name of the tune has become a part of the regiment, the words Garry Owen are part of the regimental crest, and there is a Camp Garry Owen, north of Seoul, Korea, which houses part of the 4th Squadron of the regiment.
The Seventh Cavalry regiment became a part of the US 1st Cavalry Division in 1921, and "Garryowen" became the official tune of the division in 1981.
The tune has also been associated with a number of British military units.
The word garryowen is derived from Gaelic, the proper name Oein and the word for garden garrai - thus "Owen's Garden". Garryowen is a Rugby football club, a town in County Limerick, Ireland, and at town in Montana, US near the site of the Little Bighorn battle.
External Resources
The Digital Tradition database has a number of entries about this tune.
Historical Resources
References
Some information taken from the resources listed above.
