I used to be in a "folk group" with some Irish people whilst serving in the Royal Navy ; we even had a strong supporter in the form of the ship's Irish Master-At-Arms , Paddy Calnan, for whom we performed to raise money for Nazareth House Childrens'Home in Plymouth.We sang a great many Irish "rebel songs" which would be inadvisable today, and indeed was,after about 1968/69 .However, in a peculiar way, these songs of disobedience and rebellion , even insurrection,were very popular in the Armed Forces , particularly the Navy, as they were a way of letting our feelings of repression and frustration known to our superiors !! But once Dylan stole the tune to "The Patriot Game" some of the appeal was lost forever.