Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Irish Washerwoman

jig

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on May 25th 2001 by Jeremy.

This tune has been added to 541 tunebooks.

Also known as Do Virgins Taste Better?, Irish Washerwoman.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

40 Years Reunion by The Dubliners
Alesia by Rapalje
An Toilean Aerach by Johnny Connolly
Another Measure: Scottish Country Dance Music From The 1950's, Volume 2 by Adam Rennie And His Scottish Country Dance Quartet
At Reavy's House by Jim Eagan
At The Feis by John Doonan
Beauty An Oileáin: Music And Song Of The Blasket Islands by Various Artists
Blue Fiddle Favourites Vol. 2 by Pat Hynes
Ceilidh by Bun' Ber E
Celtic Reels And Jigs - The Blackberry Blossom by Various Artists
Fiddle Sticks, Irish Traditional Music From Donegal by Various Artists
Folktrax-074 Johnny Doherty - The Pedlar's Pack by John Doherty
Grianan by Grianan MTC
Happy To Meet Sorry To Part by Various Artists
In Full Spate by Paddy Glackin
Ireland's Best Session Tunes CD 2 by Waltons Recording
Irish Accordion by Timmy Cronin
Irish Accordion Masters by Joe Derrane And Jerry O'Brien
Irish Piano Classics by J.J. Sheridan
Jack In The Box Irish Session by Tionol
King Of The Button Box by Jimmy Shand
Live 01 by Feast Of Fiddles
Melodeon by John Gannon
Nice To Meet You by Kaitlin Hahn
No Songs by Martin Carthy And Dave Swarbrick
Pedlar's Pack by John Doherty
Quare Imagination by Liz Doherty
Rig-a-jig-jig: Dance Music Of The South Of England by Various Artists
Selections From Byker Hill, But Two Came By, No Songs by Martin Carthy And Dave Swarbrick
The Bear River Band by Bear River Band
The Donegal Fiddle by Various Artists
The Gallowglass Ceili Band by The Gallowglass Ceili Band
The Gravel Walks: The Fiddle Music Of Mickey Doherty by Mickey Doherty
The Old Woman's Dance by The Tannahill Weavers
The Orkney Sessions From The Ayre Hotel by Various Artists
The Parish Platform by Rattle The Boards
The Piping Of Patsy Touhey by Patsy Touhey
The Session by Na Connerys
The Slopes Of Benbulben by John Regan
Torch And Fire by Dan Beimborn
Traditional Fiddle Music From Donegal by Frank Cassidy
Traditions by Maggie Sansone
Two Gentlemen Of Clare by Gerard Commane And Joe Ryan
Whistle O'er The Lave O't by Alex Green

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

This is one of the most well-known Irish jigs. It's still a lot of fun to play.

I've shown the second part here in the same octave as the first part. For variation, you can play the second part transposed one ocatve higher. In fact, if you're a whistle player, you'll probably have to do this anyway.

# Posted on June 2nd 2001 by Jeremy

Alternate melody?

I've heard the first 4 bars of the second half played like this:

g f# g G B d | g f# g b a g | f# e f# F# A d | f# e f# a g f# |

# Posted on August 30th 2001 by JeffK627

This is a lot of fun to do on the flute.

# Posted on June 3rd 2002 by glauber

Listen to the version on Two Gentlemen of Clare if you want to suddenly hear that hidden note -- it transformed this often-massacred tune for me.

In one of the Ed Reavy tune collections, his son writes that Mr. Reavy couldn't bear the name of this tune, as he thought it was vulgar and pandered to stereotypes; Mr. Reavy always called it "The Irish Woman"!

Zina

# Posted on June 4th 2002 by Zina Lee

Irish Washerwoman

Does anyone have some history about the source and/or/composer of this jig? Some say it was written for a London ballad opera in the early 1700s. Anyone know the name of that opera? Storyline? Ect?

# Posted on August 20th 2002 by Rayzore

The Finnish ringtone version

I have used to hear this tune as a cellphone ringtone version I once ordered to my phone. It is quite different from this sheetmusic version of yours but I have to admit I like the ringtone version better. I think it has kind of a swing in it
You can go and listen to the other version here:
http://www.jippii.fi/club/gsm/search/?key=fitone&target=title&query=the+irish+washerwoman
(Just click that little gray button there and the audio file should play.)
Tell me which one do you like more?

# Posted on September 1st 2002 by Aingeala

Donegal Version

Here's the Version played by John Gallagher on "The Donegal Fiddle" I prefer it to the standard - maybe it's the Finnish Ringtone (which I haven't heard)
|:dc|BAB DGB|DGB dcB|cBc EGc|EGc edc|
|BAB DGB|DGB dcB|1 cBc ed^c| dfa g:|2 cBc BGB|
AFA G|| |:ef|gfg Bdg|Bdg bag|fef Adf|Adf agf|
|gbg faf|gfe dBG|cBc BGB|AFA G:||

# Posted on June 20th 2003 by davy

Need help: Bowing on the "The Irish washerwoman"

Hi!

First, Im new to "The session" and I would just like to say that I'm glad to have found such a informative site, with a forum filled with nice and helpful people!

My problem is with the second part of "The Irish washerwoman"...
I just can't seem to get the bowing right on the part that goes: /EGG DGG/ CGG BGG/

My problem is to get the two G's nice and staccato, it is really frustrating because it sounds so easy but I find it quite difficult to do in rythm.

Any advice would be most helpful :-)

Regards

Vidar Tilrem

# Posted on September 18th 2003 by tilrem

Re: Need help: Bowing on the "The Irish washerwoman"

... normally new members mentioning the irish washer woman are punished by sending him/her to Coventry ...

... but well: first thing: play it slow. I mean really slow - slo mo slow (but with accurate beat). try on these GGs rolls, triplets or other ornamentations and play just this phrase back and forth for a while. and always remember: sloooow. ten minutes a day slow played irish washerwoman for one week. after that you might speed up again and you�ll see results. if they are not satisfying, repeat from but well ...

# Posted on September 19th 2003 by crannog

Re: Need help: Bowing on the "The Irish washerwoman"

Try emphasising the 1st and 4th notes of each - each note that isn't g, while playing slowly as Crannog says. Jigs always need this kind of rhythm anyway, and you're probably doing it already, just be aware of it. Hope it'll help.

# Posted on September 19th 2003 by fiddlefingers

Re: Need help: Bowing on the "The Irish washerwoman"

I can do you a scan of the sheet music with bowing and accents written in. Interested? Then reply on this thread an I'll email it you.

Jim

# Posted on September 19th 2003 by Worldfiddler

Re: Need help: Bowing on "The Irish washerwoman

Thank you all for taking the time to answer my question!

Coventry sounds nice...didn't get the reason why I should be sent there, though :-)

Jim, sheetmusic with indicated bowing would be most welcome, that's very nice of you!

Regards

Vidar Tilrem

# Posted on September 20th 2003 by tilrem

Coventry?

"sending sb. to Coventry" = "punish sb. by ignoring him/her" ...

# Posted on September 22nd 2003 by crannog

Re: Coventry?

Why should I be ignored?

Is it not "allowed" to play and ask questions about this tune?

In that case excuse me...

Regards

Vidar Tilrem

# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by tilrem

Vidar, I don't think anyone was ignoring you, really, for instance, Crannog was answering you, so it's rather snifty of *you* to ignore *him*, yes? *grin* Also, keep in mind that sometimes people just miss posts, or don't have any real input into someone's question, it's not a question of being ignored.

The reason that The Irish Washerwoman isn't particularly played out much is because it has become something of a cliched tune -- if someone wants an Irish sounding tune, out trots the Irish Washerwoman. People have even made up tons and tons of lyrics (of varying amount of hilarity and wit) to the thing.

So many serious players won't really play it unless they're being nice to a beginner who starts it up and they want to be supportive. (And some not even then, I'm afraid.)

And then you get into the whole, I could answer but what if I offend, thing? For instance, my own first thought was "why would you *want* to get the notes staccato and short? Why not play them smooth and long for fun?" But that didn't seem very helpful. So I didn't answer.

When you're first starting out with this stuff, everything is hard, and most of us do remember that. The key is to keep practising until the thing that was hard is easy. To do that, play whatever is giving you problems very slowly, as slowly as you need to go in order to play it well. When it is easy to play it at that speed, ratch up the speed a tiny notch. Do not go faster until it is easy to play it well at that speed. Never jump from one speed to a much higher speed. Always speed up very slowly, if you know what i mean.

Good luck!

Zina

# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Zina Lee

Thanks for the insight Zina :-)

Don't get me wrong, I didn't mean to imply that I was ignored, I was just wondering why Crannog said that new members would normally be ignored when mentioning this tune.

Living in Norway, there are no Irish sessions to attend to, so the only way I can learn Irish tunes are from Cd's.

I think that if I asked about this tune at a session, I would get a warning about the "background" of this tune, but Cd's don't come with such warnings or comments, so it's difficult for me to know whether a tune is welcome among other players or not.

Again, I don't feel ignored at all, you have all been very helpful

Regards

Vidar Tilrem

# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by tilrem

Lol, this is a fun little one to play around with octaves and etc... especially triplets... We also use it alot for the 'Irish Jig' in Highland dance, so yeah... and every piper plays it differently!

# Posted on November 14th 2003 by Oranaiche

The Irish Washerwoman

I've heard some lyrics to this---something about two dead people lying in the same bed but neither knowing the other was dead! Does anyone have the lyrics or know the origin of the lyrics (e.g. famine?)?Thanks,
Steve Warres

# Posted on November 18th 2003 by owarres

Source of the tune

Actually, it WAS written for an English play. The play itself was making fun of Irish people. A very good historically-accurate fifer was telling me all about it some years ago, but I don't remember details, I'm sorry. But it was meant to be derogatory towards Irishmen, and is not in fact Celtic in origin.

# Posted on August 17th 2004 by sifudave54

It does appear to be English, but I'm afraid I find the play thing rather unconvincing, sorry. Anyway, there's a lot of information about the origins of this tune here: http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/IP_IZ.htm#IRISH_WASHERWOMAN

# Posted on August 17th 2004 by Dow

Words to the A part

To answer owarres's question (two years later, I am afraid), when I was in college, my roommate had a live Don MacLean album (the American folksinger that wrote American Pie) where he sang a little snippet to the A part of this:
"Oh, McTavish is dead and his brother don't know it,
And his brother is dead, and McTavish don't know it,
And both of 'em are dead, and neither one knows it,
'Cause both of 'em thinks that the other is dead."
No idea where he got that from, but for some reason it has stuck in my head for 30 years.

# Posted on January 12th 2006 by AlBrown

The Irish Washerwoman

This tune is on a YouTube video being played by Andre Rieu and his orchestra with an Irish fiddler whose face is familiar but whose name escapes me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-JAP7Kf1cI
It's called "Irish Dance by Andre Rieu"

# Posted on June 28th 2006 by lazyhound

The Irish Washerwoman

It turns out this video is discussed in some detail on the Discussions thread "The Irish Washerwoman like you've never heard before!" http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/10473.
The fiddle player is, as I was starting to recollect, John Sheehan of The Dubliners.

# Posted on June 28th 2006 by lazyhound

The Irish Stairway To Heaven

I had a friend describe this tune as the session version of Stairway To Heaven. Great tune that has been played to death!!

# Posted on July 25th 2006 by ceolgaelach

Here is a Scottish smallpipe version as played by Ewan Boyd on A Great Highland Bagpipe Tutor CD

T:The Irish Washerwoman
R:Jig
C:Played by Ewan Boyd on A Great Highland Bagpipe Tutor CD (www.bagpipe.co.uk)
Z:Transcribed by Miklos Nemeth reusing extensively an arrangment by P/M Joe Wilson
M:6/8
L:1/8
Q:1/4=90
K:Hp
a | fdd Add | fdf agf | gee cee |Ace gfe | fdd Add | fdf agf | gfg eag |fdd d2 :|
a | fdd add | fdd agf | gfg ece |Ace gfe | fdd add | fdd agf | gfg eag |fdd d2a |
fdd add | fdd agf | gfg ece |Ace gfe | f<af dcd | Adf agf | gfg eag |fdd d2||
a | faf dcd | Adf agf | gfg ece |Ace gfe | faf dcd | Adf agf | gfg eag |fdd d2 :|
e | f2f agf | Adf agf | e2e gfe |Ace gfe | f2f agf | Adf agf | gfg eag |fdc d2e |
f2f agf | Adf agf | e2e gfe |Ace gfe | faf dcd | Adf agf | gfg eag |fdd d2 |]

# Posted on November 1st 2006 by nemethmik

The Irish Washerwoman

The Irish Washerwoman was used in the (excruciating) 1989 pop hit "I'm into folk" by Bart Peter and the Radios.

# Posted on December 30th 2007 by lazyhound

Irish Waterman

Lazyhound, have a look at this thread over at http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1312 which I think was one of the most hilarious we've ever had here on the Yellow Board and always comes to mind whenever the Irish Washerwoman is mentioned.

# Posted on December 31st 2007 by Bannerman