Have thought about this a little more, and had a nose around. i cant even begin to credit this "Island Field" tune, that "GUEST Landscape artiste" claims is "near enough note for noter" the same as Danny Boy, and is a 1638 MS in Limerick museum. "Danny Boy" is such a famous song, and it's origin has genearted so much interest over the years, that I cannot believe the true original is only known to one anonymous Mudcatter. Any scholar who had tracked that tune down in Limerick would have been delighted to announce his discover to the world, so the fact that nobody has done so till it appeared on this thread suggests to me it a load of b*ll*cks. Which raise the really interestingquestion, why do people invent fictitious origins for folk tunes? What is the motivation? Correspondents often refer to people who discuss origins as "anally retentive", but this description does not seem to apply to people who try reinforce national claims to tunes by inventing pedigrees. Why do people do this? It's most interesting.
   Malcolm D mantions a sports field, presumabbly he is referring t the old Toronto island where they used to play rugger. Do we have a Canadian Irish wannabee here inventing Irish tune origins?