The tune is the first half of that known as "The Foggy Dew," collected by Edward Bunting from "J. McKnight, Esq." in Belfast in 1839.

This is different from the better-known "Foggy Dew" tune to which words have been set referring to the Easter Rising of 1916.

And different too from the various "Foggy, Foggy Dew" airs.

Bunting's tune also goes well as a march, though that seems to be a much later development.