Here's the set from Joyce "Old Irish Fok Music & Songs".

His notes say: "This is a song on the old and well-worn theme of a young man returning disguised to his lover, and after an interview in which he proves her faithfulness, reveals himself and all is happy. I know nothing about the song farther than this - that I learned it in my childhood from hearing it sung by members of my family. There were, of course, more verses; but those I give here are all that I can remember.
As to the air:- the first part is a version of the first part of "Limerick's Lamentation" to which Moore has written his song "When cold in the earth"; but the second part strays so widely from the corresponding part of Moore's air as to form, in fact, a different melody."

Mick

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'TWAS DOWN BY THE MEADOWS

'Twas down in yon meadows where the violets are blue,
I saw my pretty Polly and she milking her cow:
And the song that she sung made the valleys to ring,
Saying, "My Jemmy's gone from me to serve George our king"
  And she sung that the wars were all o'er
  Crying , "Oh, that the wars were all o'er!"

I said, "My pretty Polly, if you'll fancy me,
I'll make you as happy, as happy can be."
"Oh no, no, sir" she said, "That never can be.
For I ne'er will be happy till my Jemmy I see."
  And she sung that the wars were all o'er
  Crying , "Oh, that the wars were all o'er!"

"'Tis straight to some dealer I'll quickly away,
And I'll dress myself out in a young man's array:
And like a bold sailor so neat and so trim,
I'll venture my life for George our great king."
  And she sung that the wars were all o'er
  Crying , "Oh, that the wars were all o'er!"


Source: P.W.Joyce - Old Irish Folk Music & Songs, 1909

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and the melody:

X: 2
T:'Twas Down By The Meadows
M:3/4
L:1/4
S: PW Joyce: Old Irish Folk Music And Songs, 1909
K:D
(D/E/)|F F (F/G/)|F E F/A/|B E E/F/|E2
w:'Twas_ down in yon_ mead-ows where the vio-lets are_ blue,
(D/E/)|F (G/F/) E/D/|B, A, D/F/|E D D|D2
w:I_ saw my_ pret-ty Pol-ly and she milk-ing her cow:
F/A/|B B/A/ d/B/|A2 D/E/|F (F/E/) (D/F/)|E2
w:And the song that_ she_ sung made the val-leys_ to_ ring,
A/G/|F D G|(F/E/) F (3A/B/c/|d d e|d2
w:Saying, "My Jem-my's gone from_ me to__ serve George our king"
d/B/|A2 F/E/|D> E (F/D/)|E2
w:And she sung that the wars were all_ o'er
F/G/|A2 F/D/|B> E (3E/D/C/|D2||
w:Cry-ing, "Oh, that the wars were all__ o'er!"