Actually, Helen, I believe that the song is not about the Romany but about the Travelling people, aka tinkers, who still try to maintain their itinerant lives in the UK despite increasing regulations and decreasing open land. My family lore suggests that my mother's dad's people were travellers, and I've been very interested in learning about them.
There's a new cd called Celtic Roads put out by Revels Inc. (click here) with a recording of that song. (If you get the cd and look at the accompanying booklet on the next-to-last page (next to the song, Parting Glass) you'll see me! First lady on the left)