This is an illuminating thread. Thanks for all the contributions, agus go raimh mile maith agat, a Philippa, for your reaearch and authoritative posts.

Apparently no one in Portland's song circle has read it, for we still repeat our bit of folk mythology about it for newcomers--that this is the only surviving bit of (presumably ancient) culture from the island, whose population had been wiped out by disease. How romantic! I will correct that notion next time it's sung here!

By the way, I had been singing the song for many years before I saw a deeper layer of meaning there for me: If you want to get "home", you have to turn and "face the weather."

David