More snippets from Ó Muirgheasa, "Céad de Cheolta Uladh":
1) "In Hardiman's "Irish Minstrelsy, vol.1, page 194, there is a song entitled Móta Ghráinne Óige, with almost the same refrain as that of Doiminic Ó Dónaill. Popular and catchy refrains of this sort were sure to be appropriated by other rhymsters, such would appear to have been done by the unknown author of the Móta Ghráinne Óige, for the refrain in this song has no bearing whatever on the subject of the verses, which latter are light and trivial, while in Doiminic Ó Dómhnaill the refrain is the soul of the piece."

2) "The song, it should be stated, is supposed to have been uttered by Dominick's mother, but according to two Teelin seanachies - Conall Cunningham and Charley McCann - the real author was Dominick's brother the priest."

One version of the song has a verse in which Doiminic's mother says he should have seen his brother the Catholic priest at the altar weeping about Doiminic the Protestant minister:

Dá bhfeichfeá do dheartháir ar an altóir Dé Domhnaigh,
Ag léamh de leabhar a phortannais [= phortúis]
A bhos ar a leiceann go brónach,
Is é ag gol sagart óg 'na mhinistir.

Note that Teelin is in the south of County Donegal and Carrigart is in the north of the county (near Downings). Ó Muirgheasa found numerous Irish speakers throughout the county knew versions of the song, but, he wrote, "Strange enough the Irish speakers about Carrigart, where O'Donnell lived, have forgotten the song as if they would fain forget the whole episode."

I myself am somewhat surprised that this song remains quite popular. I've been familiar with the song for years, but never tried to learn it. I felt I would be embarassed to sing such a lament with its sectarian overtones; I see nothing intrinsically wrong with someone choosing to follow a different path from the one s/he was raised in. And I'm quite sympathetic to Doiminic becoming a minister so that he could enjoy family life!

We could - and have in other threads - have interesting discussions about to what extent we need to believe in songs we sing and to what extent we can sing a song as a way of understanding history and different points of view, geting inside someone else's head. While I personally don't relate to the religious basis, that Doiminic has forsaken the True Church ("Thréig tusa Peadar is Pól ...", you forsook Peter and Paul ...), I do sympathise with the lament from a political viewpoint as Doiminic changed his faith at a time when Protestants were privileged in relation to Catholics. Even Doiminic's mother has other reasons beside religious principles for decrying his defection; she fears the approbation of her neighbours. A verse from the singing of Máire Áine Ní Dhonnchadha goes:

Nuair a théimse chun Aifrinn Dé Domhnaigh
'S mo bhrat ar mo bhráid mar phluid orm,
Séard a deireanns na cailíní óga;
Siúd í máthair an mhinistéir.

When I attend Mass on Sunday
I hide my shame in my mantle,
I hear the young girls say;
There goes the minister's mother.

This exercise of looking at the song more carefully and learning more of the history behind it is making me think again of learning to sing the song myself. I suppose it's a type of acting, for a couple of minutes I would be like Doiminic's mother; afterwards I return to my own beliefs!