Annotation:Paddy's Gone to France

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PADDY'S GONE TO FRANCE. AKA – “Johnny’s Gone to France.” AKA and see “Ballina Lass,” "Green Meadows (The)," "Hag's Reel (The)," “Johnny When You Die (1),” "Johnny's Gone to France (3)," “Mayo Lasses (The),” "Old Maids of Galway (1) (The)," “West Mabou Reel.” Irish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. Catholic France was a favorite destination of expatriate Irish soldiers (see “Wild Geese”), although the title may refer to either of the World Wars of the 20th century. The title was remembered by one older musician as “Paddy’s Gone to France and He’s Never Coming Back.” Researcher Conor Ward finds a distanced version in the c. 1885 music copybook of fiddler Francis Reynolds (Gaigue, Ballinamuck, County Longford) as "Jenny Picking Cockles (3)."

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, Book Two), 1999; p. 17 (appears as “Paddy Gone to France”).

Recorded sources:

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