This classic 6 part jig was first recorded by the late Michael Gorman (1895-1970), a county Sligo fiddler who spent much of his adult life in the London area. The tune was popularaized in the late 1970s by Kevin Burke and The Bothy Band. The mp3 links to a peformance by Gorman.

The Strayaway Child is sometimes credited to Gorman's partner and accompaniest, Margaret Barry, however the multi-part structure of the tune, so characteristic of Gorman's music, makes me think that it was actually composed by Gorman himself.

Perhaps Margaret Barry lilted the first phrase to Gorman and that inspired him to flesh it out to a six parts structure - it is quite plausible that if it did start with her idea, he might give her composer credit. Another more likely possiblility is that since Magaret and Michael were a couple she might have taken care of business arrangements with record labels and copyright agencies signing forms etc. for future royalties.