Thanks Wolfgang, an interesting read. Those four guys named as authors of the song could well have been , I knew Tom Brett and it would easily have been within the scope of his abilities to pen so simple a lyric and, his knowledge of history was not lacking either. I think he was/is related to the Clancy Bros'family.He and the other three named were members of "The Southern Folk Four" and that's where I first heard it.
Wonder what it was that gave Big Mick such doubts about the erudition of the Clancy Brothers ?