A maggot here does not mean a flesh-eating scavanger. Maggot was used in its now obsolete sense of a caprice. In the early 18th century it was the custom to apply the term to dance tunes and to others, such as this, of a whimsical character. Maggot could also be a man who is a jack of all trades.

                     Alleghretto

Notations from The Life and Times of an Irish Harper by O'Donal

Courtesy of Vivian and Jack Hennessey, IrishPage.com 2004
Replay background music Carolan's Maggot

Filleadh go liosta Cearbhalláin
Back to Carolan's List