Anyway...I have a copy of the lyrics signed by Sigerson Clifford, dated 10 June 1970. At the top of the page is a drawing by local artist Sean O'Shea, captioned "Barr na Sraide, Cahersiveen". It's a street scene (but also a place(!), complete with a little wren.

I've also got a street plan of Cahersiveen. "High Street" is on the edge of the Town and runs straight along to the Carhan (not Carham, as in CM's version) River, changing its name as it goes: Old Road, Fair Green, Rocky Road. This is the precise location where Daniel O'Connell was born, in Carhan House.

The story behind the song? Been discussed before. It's what you make of it. For me, it's primarly a nostalgic song about childhood and a celebration of place. Others prefer to emphasise the one political verse. In Caher itself it's known as the "Anthem of Cahersiveen" and is seen mainly as a celebration of the Town, the song that put it on the map, as Cahersiveen not Barr na Sraide! (Sorry Martin).

PS When I was a boy in rural Ireland, the "street" was simply the area in front of the house.