The jig version turns up in other regions with names such as 'Bacca Pipes' in 'Oxfordshire and Jockey lay up in the Hayloft' in Northumberland. Both areas were teeming with Irish navvies in the 19C where they could have taught it to the locals or equally have learned it from them. In the 1721 edition of Playford's Dancing master there is a 'Green Sleeves and Yellow lace'.

There's some more info here http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/GREEN.htm . You'll need to scroll down a bit.


If sleeve is from 'sliabh' then why 'green' and not 'glas' or whatever. You may not have heard of anybody sighing over his lover's sleeves but I bet you've heard people sing about the 'Lady in Red', 'Alice Blue Gown', 'The Girl with the Blue Dress On', 'Itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny-yellow-polka-dot bikini','Red feathers and a huly-huly skirt', 'Venus in Blue Jeans'... Greensleeves doesn't sound so far fetched now, eh?