The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #7171   Message #1620162
Posted By: Malcolm Douglas
04-Dec-05 - 11:19 PM
Thread Name: Origin: Red Is the Rose
Subject: RE: Red Is The Rose
True; but he certainly wasn't involved with Loch Lomond or with Red is the Rose, which appears (until we get information to the contrary) to be a rather more recent thing using that tune and some elements from older songs.

Is there any concrete evidence that Red is the Rose even existed before the 20th century? Neither Tommy Makem nor Joe Heaney have proved to be impeccable sources of information, but even they don't directly suggest that it's much older than that.