I don't think "angry raisin" (?"Grapes of Wrath"?!) is winding us up at all, and for my part I agree entirely both with him and with Kevin Sheils: Luke Kelly, however appropriate his characteristic approach might have been in some instances, really brutalizes "Raglan Road". Notice his inappropriate phrasing in such cases as the relatively minor one,
"In Grafton Street /\ in NoVEM-BER /\ we tripped..."
(rather than the subtle implication of internal rhyme in:)
"In Grafton Street, in NoVEMber WE (t) ripped lightly..."

as well as the distortion of

"I gave her gifts of the mind, I gave her the secret sign
Of-the-artists who have known the true Gods of sound and stone;
And word and tint, without stint, I gave her poems...&c"

rather than

"I gave her g of the m, I gave her the secret sign that's known
To the artists WHO have known the TRUE Gods of sound, and stone,
And word, and tint: I did not stint; I gave her poems to say..&c"

Admittedly, this verse is difficult to sing because of the long phrasing and the way the sense carries on over line-ends; but KS gets it exactly right in drawing attention to the revelation that follows a properly phrased rendition. LK is best in such heroic, or rollicking, songs as "Rocky Road to Dublin" and, appropriately enough, "Kelly, the Boy from Killane"; but his "Raglan Road" has been unduly and unfortunately influential. (Ducking for cover now)