Peter and Johnny, McConnell died at hospital in Cork - I think that was what caused the confusion. In any case, the thread heading has been edited.

According to Mark McGoldrick, writing in "The Fermanagh Herald" newspaper, Mickey McConnell was 17 years old when he composed Only Our Rivers Run Free. McConnell's website says he wrote the song in 1965 (when Mickey would have been 17 or 18), earlier than I would have expected in terms of events in N Ireland.

When I mentioned other McConnell songs which would be familiar in Irish singing circles, I should also have mentioned The Tinkerman's Daughter (which McConnell adapted from an older song by Sigerson Clifford) and The Man Who Drank the Farm https://mickeymacconnell.com/LyricsTheManwhoDranktheFarm.html