'Rebel' songs are as much a part of the Irish repertoire as songs about Waterloo and Trafalgar are of the English repertoire and they will be singing about Kevin Barry as long as we are singing about Nelson.
Far from them being sung by "drunken Irish Americans", most traditional singers I have met have had a number of them in their repertoire, though often they have declined to sing them to us for fear of giving offence.
Apart from the nationally known ones, many areas of Ireland have not so well known local songs documenting the events of 1798, 1867, Easter Week and the War of Independence et al.
Any doubts of their importance as social or historical documents can easily be dispelled by a quick flick through Georges Denis Zimmerman's 'Songs of Irish Rebellion'.
If they give offence - tough - they are as much a part of our (British) history as they are of theirs, and if they make us uncomfortable - long may they continue to do so.
Jim Carroll