MMario, I am inclined to agree with you. It is rare that both words and air can be attributed with certainty to any individual. This is especially true with respect to the air, which is why I quoted the farmer. Irish song writers are cavalier when it comes to fitting a tune to their words. The bottom line is that the words take precedence over tune. In my experience it is extremely rare for the author of a tune to be known. The authors of such classics as "Úir Chill an Chreagáin", "an Bonnán Buidhe", "Úna Bhán", "Deus Meus Adiuva Me", "Rí an Domhnaigh" etc. are well known, but the authors of the tunes to which their lyrics are sung are totally anon. In Irish Tradition you are not dealing with objective truth most of the time, but with a music that survived in the mouths of the People such as the farmer already quoted. As Gráinne Yeats, the Harper, told me once when discussing the airs, our ancestors must have had a very rigorous training in voice, since the demands put on the singer, even the trained Classical Singer, make such a conclusion incontestable. Annraoi