>>>'The words of the song are credited to C. (or E.) Mordaunt Spencer and the music to Charles William Glover, but a story circulated in connection with the ['Rose of Tralee'] festival claims that the song was written by William Pembroke Mulchinock, a wealthy Protestant, out of love for Mary O'Connor, a poor Catholic maid in service to his parents.' Wikipedia<<<
{This latter attribution also recorded in post above of 27 Apr 99, 05.14 AM}

A mnemonic irrelevance, perhaps; but can't resist mentioning here the coincidence that I learnt this song in v early childhood [about 4] from an Irish maid we had in London [sorry, but people did in those days! cf last phrase of the Wiki entry!], whose name happened to be Mary O'Connor; & she came from Co Kerry, near Tralee! I loved her like a big sister, I recall. I don't think, tho, that she knew anything of the association of a namesake of hers to one of the traditional 'origins' of the song; if she did, she never mentioned it SFAIR.

~Michael~