ABSTRACT
This tale of a handsome soldier marrying an ugly older woman for her money bore striking similarities to the ballad above. Paddy Carey was a classic trickster. Though apparently trapped into military service by a duplicitous recruiting sergeant, this folk hero could turn it to his advantage by taking a bride who could purchase him an officer’s commission and thus make his fortune in the army. In this regard, the ballad was similar to the plot of Lady’s Resolution to marry a Soldier. Like the latter, it demonstrated that the right marriage could work to a soldier’s advantage. The Bodleian has ten copies in its collection, indicating the popularity of these lyrics, which appealed to folk singers from the start of the nineteenth century to the present. “Mullinavat to Magherafelt” essentially equated to Ireland from the south to the north. “Cushlamacree” was a term of endearment inspired by Gaelic words that essentially meant, “my heart”, or “my darling”.
