I sang the version I collected from Bill House, in a concert with Len Graham. Len suggested he had a broadsheet of Irish origin containing the song. Bill's version mentions the County Kildare.
Almost certainly the song is of 'stage' origin, which is why it was ignored by the Hammond brothers in Dorset. The Meech family used to sing the song, in the Star in Beaminster in the 1920's so I'm told.
The Gypsy Folk sing it to this day.