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CathaI McConnell is my source of this one, which is a Co. Fermanagh setting of this old hornpipe. It seems to be a pipers’ tune, but became very popular around South Fermanagh as a flute tune. The poor old woman of the title is a metaphor for Ireland, who has suffered but endures. Such metaphors were a way of outwitting the authorities, who were always busy gathering information on local agitators seeking freedom from outside opression.
B3 c | dg gf ge dc | (3BdB G2 G2 cB | Aaab afdB | c2 A2 A2 Bc | dg gf g2 BA | GD BA GB dB | ce af ge dc | (3BdB G2 G2 Bc || dg gf ge dc | (3BdB G2 G2 cB | Aa ab af dB | c2 A2 A2 Bc | dg gf g2 BA | GD BA GB dB | ce af ge dc | (3BdB G2 G2 dc || Bdgd Bdgd | BdcA GBdB | ceae ceae | cABG A2 dc | Bdgd BdgG | BdcA GBdB | ceaf gedc | (3BdB G2 G2 dc || Bdgd BdgG | BdcA GBdB | ceae ceae | cABG A2 dc | Bdgd BdgG | BdcA GBdB | ceaf gedc | BB G2 G2 ga || bgaf gedc | (3BdB G2 G2 ab | c'a bg af dB | c2 A2 A2 ga | bg af g2 BA | GD BA GB dB | ce af ge dc | (3BdB G2 G2 ga || bg af ge dc | (3BdB G2 G2 ab | c'a bg af dB | c2 A2 A2 ga | bg af g2 BA | GD BA GB dB | ce af ge dc | (3BdB G2 G2 Bc || dg gf ge dc | (3BdB G2 G2 cB | Aaab afdB | (3cec A2 A2 Bc | dg gf g2 BA | GD BA GB dB | ce af ge dc | (3BdB G2 G2 Bc || dg gf ge dc | (3BdB G2 G2 cB | Aa ab af dB | c2 A2 A2 Bc | dg gf g2 BA | GD BA GB dB | ce af ge dc | (3BdB G2 G2 dc || Bdgd BdgG | BdcA GBdB | ceae ceae | cABG A2 dc | Bdgd Bdgd | BdcA GBdB | ceaf gedc | (3BdB G2 G2 dc || BdgG Bdgd | BdcA GBdB | ceae ceae | cABG A2 dc | Bdgd BdgG | BdcA GBdB | ceaf gedc | (3BdB G2 G2 ga || bgaf gedc | (3BdB G2 G2 ab | c'a bg af dB | (3cec A2 A2 ga | bg af g2 BA | GD BA GB dB | ce af ge dc | (3BdB G2 G2 ga || bg af ge dc | (3BdB G2 G2 ag | c'a bg af dB | (3cec A2 A2 ga | bg af g2 BA | GD BA GB dB | ce af ge dc | (3BdB G2 G4 |