Jim Dixon posted an excerpt of the version in The Idiom of the People. Here's the whole thing:

48 THE IRISH GIRL

As I walked out one morning fair down by some river side
I gaz-ed all around me an Irish girl I spied
So red and rosy were her cheeks and curly was her hair
And costly were those robes of gold this Irish girl did wear

Her shoes were of the Spanish black all sprinkled o'er with dew
She wrung her hands in terror saying Alas what shall I do?
I'm going home, I'm going home, I'm going home says she
What makes you go a roving and slight dear Pollee.

There's many a one so bad as he and why should I complain?
For love it is a killing thing did you ever feel the pain?
I wish my love was a red red rose and in some garden grew
With lilies I would garnish her, Sweet William, thyme and rue

I wish I was a butterfly I would fly to my love's breast
I wish I was a linnet I would sing my love to rest
I wish I was a nightingale I'd sing till the morning clear
I would sit and sing to you Polly to the girl I love so dear

I wish I was in Manchester all seated on the grass
With a bottle of whisky in my hand and on my knee a lass
We'd call for liquors merrily and pay before we go
I'd roll her in my arms once more let the winds blow high or low.

[1310 Robert Parish at Exford 1907. Five other English and three American versions]

2.2 She wrung her hands and tore her hair Good lord! what shall I do? [1908 Mr Edward Harrison at Langport 1909]

2.3 I'm going: 1310 We're going. Most other versions have 'I'm'. 'Going home' is a common euphemism for 'dying'.

3.1—3 These two lines, which occur in most versions, are supplied from
1908. 1908 has 'as bad as me', but other versions have 'he', which
is obviously better sense.

3.3—4 Another version has
I wish my love was a red ripe rose that in the garden grows
And I to be the gardener that's my love I would know

Other versions have minor variants, as 'coal black' for 'curly'; 'Exeter' for 'Manchester'; 'wine' for 'whisky'.

This song was widely popular; there are broadside versions and versions noted by collectors such as Lucy Broadwood (English Traditional Songs and Carols, 1908) and others (Journal of the Folk-Song Society, No. x, 1899). There are numerous minor variations, but there is substantial agreement about the main elements of this somewhat confused narrative. This would suggest that all the versions have a common origin in the broadside issued by Such under the title The New Irish Girl. This title implies that there was an older Irish Girl, which may have been an earlier original. The author of this broadside may have combined elements from several songs without regard for logic. There appears to be an unexplained transition from one protagonist—the girl, to another—her lover.
No one, so far as I know, has reduced the narrative to order, and I have been unable to do so. The following points, however, are worth noting: the gold dress and shoes of Spanish leather imply wealthy heroine (compare the heroine of The Raggle-Taggle Gypsies). I wonder if 'Irish' is a corruption of 'heiress'. The heroine is also connected with that of The Foggy Dew (No. 33). See 2.2 of The Irish Girl.


source The Idiom of the People, by James Reeves, 1958 (page 130-131 of the 1965 Norton paperback edition).
No tune available.

All of the songs in this book were collected by Cecil Sharp.