I don’t know why I never bothered before but, I just started learning “The Irish Washerwoman” so I’ve been thinking of what songs would go well with it in a set. I’ve already settled on “The Blackthorn Stick.” I just need a third. Any ideas?
The Irish Washerwoman is an old standard, so I’d have a string of the old ones (and I’d not stick in G major). What about
The Irish Washerwoman (G)
Father O’Flynn (D)
The Blackthorn Stick (A)
_Donnybrook Fai_r (G)
The Rakes of Kildare (A dorian)
The Irish Washerwoman (G)
The Eavesdropper. Pet of the Pipers. Have a Drink With Me. Gillan’s Apples.
And…The Kesh. 
And it’s also fun to go to an Em tune in the middle. Like Blackthorn Stick to Gallagher’s Frolics or Morrison’s or something like that back to the IWW.
Up to a D modal tune that starts on A is nice, too – like The Newport Lasses (Trip to Athlone) or down to F# like the good old Connaughtman’s Rambles in D.
We like to go up to A and put The Atholl Highlanders after the IWW, FWIW. 
I think the first tune we often do in that set is Rakes of Kildare.
Other nice (though not all along the “old tune” theme Nigel suggested, which is a cool idea BTW) G jigs –
Castlebar Races
Saddle the Pony
The Old Favorite
Christy Barry’s No. 1 & 2
Blarney Pilgrim
Tell Her I Am
Haunted House (Vincent Broderick)
Old Tipperary (which is actually more modal but with a G key sig)
Green Fields of Woodford
The Smiling Bride (Charlie Lennon)
The Cook in the Kitchen (has a few nice turns/modal shading options in it)
The Cuil Aodha Jig in G
The Woodcock/The Kerfunten (aka Hammy Hamilton’s 1 & 2)
Cherish the Ladies
Patsy Geary’s (though it depends on what tempo you’re thinking of for the IWW; I think Geary’s is nicer when not hell-bent for leather)
The Legacy
And of course … Jimmy Ward’s 
You could also do Trip to Sligo 1 & 2 – one is in Em, the other in G major. Maybe flop them to start with #2 the G version, go to #1 the Em for a little mysticism and the ratchet the whole shebang back to a big fat happy G with IWW.
OK, that’s what I thought of right quick-like … I love making up sets, esp. on the fly. Have fun!
Wow, you thought of all those quick-like? You really are Wilde. Goodness, so many options! 
You guys have given me a lot of listening and experimenting to do. But, this is what I’m thinking about presently…
Irish Washerwoman
Charlie Hunter’s
Blackthorn stick
Sounds like fun. Charlie Hunter’s is a great tune and the key change can be nice for the long-suffering listener; breaks up the cascade of diddley-i’s, like.
Though of course, you got me thinking – at lunch I had the Blackthorn Stick in my head (thanks a HEAP ) and found my “i-Head Shuffle” following it with another fun little G jig called “Off to the Races.”
It worked really well in my head … anyway, it’s a single jig like the Blackthorn Stick and like the Blackthorn Stick (g3 ege) it has a long G (G3 g2e) in the first bar which is fun for a cute little rhythmic flip-flop. Overall, the two seem similar in style and thus might complement one another nicely.
X: 1
T:Blackthorn Stick, The
T:Humours of Bantry, The
R:jig
M:6/8
L:1/8
F:http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/music/abc/mirror/kirby98.fsnet.co.uk/co/Coach_Road_to_Sligo_The_1.abc 2010-02-18 19:33:24 UT
K:G
~g3 ege|dBG AGE|DGG FGA|BGB A2e|!
gfg age|dBG AGE|DGG FGA|BGG G2d:|!
|:edd gdd|edd gdd|ede ~g3|edB A2e|!
gfg age|dBG AGE|DGG FGA|BGG G2d:|!
X: 1
T:Off to the Races
R:Jig
O:Ireland
M:6/8
K:G
D|
G3 g2e|dBG AGE|DEG AGA|BAA ABA|
G3 g2e|dBG AGE|DEG AGA|BGG G2:|
|:efe gfe|efe gfe|efe gfe|fdB B3|
efe gfg|agf gfe|BcB AGA|BGE E3:|
Then you could close with your showpiece. OK, I’m back to work – and to listening to something other than these infernal G jigs!!!
Gillan’s Apples is in D major by the way, although it starts with G… The big hint is the C#
Here Az, read this: [https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/how-to-make-a-thread-bookmark/61/1)
I don’t think Steve is talking about the same tune as you. Then again, you may be taking the piss
Note to self: never post a message about a tune’s key
I was actually being serious, but different tunes having the same name, and same tunes being played differently, it’s hard to know which is which.
Sorry Steve!
G Lydian the way I play it.
As Washerwoman is so popular/recognisable/cliched (depends who you speak to - I like it and play it) it seems logical to couple it with another of similar status. I think Kesh could work great as the second tune. I can’t imagine it working so well with Kesh as the first tune…
Father O’Flynn is another established partner for Washerwoman. I think it was the tourist favourites Waxies Dargle who recorded a set of Father O’Flynn, Irish Washerwoman and then a reel - Blackberry Blossom.
I think Steve should refer to the tune as Gillydian’s Apples. No matter that the whole world disagrees with him, he knows he’s right.
Ah, Stevie. How redolent of all manner of unseriousness that little was in my last post! Tongue-in-cheek, self-deprecation, kidding, pompousnesslessitude - you name it! Let’s just put it down to that good ol’ subtle Brit humour that just didn’t travel well, shall we? 
The finest jig of all, which happens to be in G, is (of course) Out on the Ocean. Great to pair with any number of tunes.
You could put Blarney Pilgrim in front of the Irirsh Washerwoman, and resolve the “is it D mix or G major” ambiguity of the Pilgrim with the unadulterated G major of the Washerwoman.
Hi Al! So that’s what you look like…! I agree about Out On The Ocean. I can’t put my finger on it but it’s a beautiful tune.
My college group used the Irish Washerwomen in a short set with:
Nancy Dawson
Irish Washerwoman
Morrison’s Jig
Just a suggestion
Killarney Boys of Pleasure is a nice jig in e minor that you could fit in, too.
Except that it’s a reel - unless you know something I don’t.
Maybe thinking of the Rollicking Boys of Tandagree?