Jeeze Claire, Small world!

Shay left me a copy of Michaels CD Saturday night, what a nice birthday surprise that was! We listened to it three times through on SUnday cleaning up, and of course Billy O'shea became hopelessly melded into my now 50 year old brain.

So I google it tonight looking for background on it and the first hit is this thread. Reading down I stumble onto Richards posts and finally yours!?!?!??

Very interesting discussion, I'll have to ask Shay if he knows where Michael learned it. Perhaps Shay picked it up in the 80s from Stan or it was one they learned at their parents sessions. Maybe somewhere out there is the evidence that would push it back past 1965. Perhaps a verse exists in one of the Shanty books from the late 1800s or early 1900s?

Great song in any time period. INteresting thread all.

Gary