I have a songbook called " The Place in the Song " in which there is an article about the song written by someone called Benedict Kiely.He claimed that he was present the first time the song was sung.Kavanagh worked beside him in a newspaper office in Dublin .He states that Kavanagh wrote the song in the office and there was an impromptu performance by a quartet of those present at the time.He knew the woman in the song. To quote" But the point was that the historian and myself knew the lovely lady referred to in the song. She was in college with us. And by showing us the song the poet was most intimately , making his statement."