Annotation:Merry Old Maid (The)

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MERRY OLD MAID, THE. Irish, Jig. E Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB.

Sources for notated versions: "My respected friend, Mrs. J.S. Close" who learned it in Galway as a child, but had no recollection of the name [Petrie]; "J. O'Neill" [O'Neill]. Fiddler and Chicago Police Sergeant James O'Neill was originally from County Down. He was musically literate and served as Francis O'Neill's transcriber and collaborator on his early volumes.

Printed sources: O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 738, p. 188. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 20. George Petrie (Ancient Music of Ireland, vol. 2), 1855; p. 45 (appears as untitled single jig).

Recorded sources: