Irish Traditional Music Tune Index
Tune ID# 2878 (Old Torn Petticoat)

RhythmBars8-bar phrase structureMode
Reel32AABBA Dorian
Transcription of first 2 bars of Old Torn Petticoat
 about these two bars

These two bars are the start of my transcription of how this tune was played – the first time through – on the recording CC (details in the Discography below).

Where do you get the tune titles?
Titles given to this tune in the sources listed below (plus notes of mine about this tune):
Old Torn Petticoat, The / The Old Torn Petticoat (I Got in Mullingar) / The Lass From Mullingar / The Old Torn Jacket / Smiling Susan (1st in set The Galway Rambler on TCB 4) (also singled, or only 1st part singled) (compare as hornpipe #1470)
What do the "track#tune" codes mean?

cd Discography

Here are all recordings of this tune considering only the indexed recordings. I have discovered by careful listening that these sources are in fact musically the same tune, regardless of the tune titles they use, key changes, retuning, etc. They are listed in order of when they were recorded.

Year
Recorded
Track
#Tune
[Album code] Artist. Title. Primary musicians (instruments). Album details
and contents
19743#1[CC] Bernard O'Sullivan and Tommy McMahon. Clare Concertinas. Bernard O'Sullivan (concertina), Tommy McMahon (concertina) except where solos noted.View album details
~19793#3[KB Pr] Kevin Burke, Mícheál Ó Domhnaill. Promenade. Kevin Burke (fiddle), Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (vocals, guitar, piano).View album details
~19935#2[JKn 2] James Keane. That's the Spirit. James Keane (accordion).View album details
19988#3[KB IC] Kevin Burke. In Concert. Kevin Burke (fiddle).View album details
~20025#2[MaRaf] Mary Rafferty. Hand-Me-Downs. Mary Rafferty (accordion, concertina, flute, whistle).View album details
20035#2[Dnu 4] Danú. The Road Less Travelled. Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh (vocals, flute, whistle), Benny McCarthy (accordion), Donnchadh Gough (bodhrán, pipes), Oisin McAuley (fiddle, vocals), Tom Doorley (flute, whistle, vocals), Eamon Doorley (bouzouki), Donal Clancy (guitar).View album details
200611#2[TCB 4] The Tulla Céilí Band. 60th Anniversary Celebration. Mark Donnellan (fiddle), Martin Hayes (fiddle), Jim Corry (piano), Sean Donnelly (accordion), Michael McKee (accordion), J.J. Conway (flute), Jennifer Lenihan (flute), Martin Glynn (flute), Mick Flanagan (drums).View album details

Bibliography

Here are all transcriptions of this tune under any title whatsoever – considering only the indexed books – listed in chronological order. I have discovered by careful comparison that these are very similar to this tune as played on the recordings listed above.

As reel #252 in [Cobb] Dan Cobb. Cobb's Music of Ireland. [available]
As tune #67 in [Raff] Lesl Harker. 300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty. [available]
As tune #5 in [DM 4] Dave Mallinson. 100 Vital Irish Session Tunes. [available]

If you are considering using the above transcriptions to help you learn this tune, I invite you to check these practical Tips for Learning Irish Traditional Music. See also: So why do you bother indexing books and abc?

Year of the oldest source for this tune, considering the recordings and transcriptions listed above (note that I concentrate on sources after 1900): 1974