Source for the notated version: “McFadden” [O’Neill].

Chicago fiddler John McFadden was born around 1850 in the townland of Carrowmore, just north of Westport, County Mayo, into a musical family—both his father and brother were fiddlers. Though he could not read music, McFadden was a remarkably quick aural learner with an extensive repertoire. He was highly regarded for his mastery of improvisation and variation, and was also known to have composed original tunes.