I know a few English Kevins (and the odd Brian), Ard Mhacha. I think you've missed the irony! My point is that just because someone's name is "Arthur MacBride" it doesn't follow that automatically they are Irish. My family name is French, but I'm not. etc etc. A shallow argument indeed. There's a lot of McBrides in Cambridge.

With reqard to the text of the song, Donegal seems very likely for all sorts of linguistic reasons, syntax conventions of hiberno-english etc. But the earliest written source we have is English. But then again, is it really necessary to identify "authorship" of "traditional" material?

I reckon it doesn't matter. If it's a good song sing it, but why call the folk police over it?

Cheers

EJ