I share your admiration of this poem. It's a remarkable piece of work and I especially like the fact that this essential Republican text was written by a Protestant woman about Protestants. And it is strange to imagine that the places mentioned in the poem, Saintfield, Kilkeel etc. were once hotbeds of revolution and sedition. Ican't think of a narrative poem that I admire more.

I have no great opinion of the later work of Tommy Makem and I'll say no more than that.

Glad to hear that Tom Hickland and Sam Bracken are both alive and well.