The Irish Washerwoman✧
A lively session favourite. Bounce between registers and settle into the jig’s two pulses.
Sheet music
Tap a staff note or finger tab to hear it.
A · first time
A · second time
B · first time
B · second time
D whistle · G major · 6/8 · 110 BPM · + upper octave
A · first time
A · second time
B · first time
B · second time
About this tune
Despite its name, The Irish Washerwoman has a shared history across Ireland, Britain, and North America. Variants were printed in eighteenth-century collections in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland; its exact beginnings are disputed.
It is most familiar as an instrumental jig. Repeating low-register figures and a high answering strain give the melody an energetic, instantly recognizable shape.
Performances
Watch musicians play this tune on tin whistle. Keys and arrangements may differ from the tabs above.
The Irish Washerwoman on tin whistle
CutiePie
A D-whistle performance followed by a step-by-step lesson.
Watch on YouTube — The Irish Washerwoman on tin whistle by CutiePie (opens in a new tab) ↗