As someone very in love with this song, may I suggest the ultimate is of course Luke Kelly, but NOT the studio version.
The ultimate version is that which features on the Dubliners "Hometown" LP album in 1972 (now deleted, hunt it on E-Bay).
It is rightly introduced by one of the band as the finest love song ever written in the english language.
The tragedy is we shall probably never see it on CD as for some very strange reason it ended the first side of the LP about threequarters of the way through the song, and fades in again for the last quarter on the second side. ????
I cannot guess why without wondering if it was an "Irish" thing (joke please !!). Did the master tape hiccup and they had to cover up that way ?, was it the limitations of the LP groove bandwidth, and they obviously couldnt mix the concert running order about... which is my favourite theory.
Whatever....a bloody tragedy. CHYME Music in Belfast have the rights I believe, as they have released other songs from the LP on compilation CD's. When you hear Luke's voice on that night, and the more up front and up tempo banjo, you will realise it is a masterpiece.
CHYME MUSIC....WAKE UP !!!!...join the song digitally (if it was ever really split) and release it as a CD single for charity (Mr Geldof will give tips there)....and with plenty of advertising :-
....watch it rule the charts, believe me !!!!.