Thanks, beardedbruce and all! The Shady Grove stanza is somewhat similar, but here we get into such folksong commonplace that similarities will turn up all over the place. I'm particularly interested in the collocation of hair, esp. brown hair, and shoulders.

'The Black Velvet Band' (Roud 2146)
'The Blazing Star of Drim' (Roud 2945)
'The Dawning of the Day' (Roud 370)
('The Flower of Sweet Strabane' is Roud 2745.)

Certainly looks like an Irish thing. 'The Blazing Star of Drim' and 'The Dawning of the Day' have *white* shoulders, which after all give us the proper name Fionnula or Finnoula.

Stephen