Thanks for all your contributions
M.Ted thanks for your interest and comments - I like the song and it's sentiment, I have only heard Frank Harte's version, and I find the last verse a little confusing, this maybe because as Malcolm Douglas points out it was collected only once and the source Henry Burstow was unsure of some of the words, therefore subsequently those who attempt to revive the song have had to improvise. Henry Burstow's version was transcribed by Ralph Vaughan Williams and he was unsure of what he was hearing and he placed question marks over some of the words. Paltune was one of these words and there has been much debate over this word and its possible meaning etc. I am trying to overcome (or maybe add to) some of this confusion by my own bit of improvisation/interpretation. and in the end isn't that what some of the magic, attraction and dynamism of the singing tradition is about.

Thanks Martin Ryan for your comments - You are right concerning the number of syllables and I will take up your suggestions.

Thanks to Malcolm also - I appreciate you going to such trouble to post such valuable and very interesting background to the history of this song, it has helped me a lot and given me a deeper insight into the lyrics.

Fergus