I'm sitting here blushing and both my ears are bright red with embarassment. I have to confess that Chordstrangler is Mickey MacConnell and that I'm totally gobsmacked at the interest being shown in my work.

Yes- the original word was death.   This makes sense when viewed in the context of being written in 1965 - a time long before the first stone was thrown during the first civil rights march in Derry. The previous republican campaign had been a short lived one which died off at the end of the 1950's.    I was born in 1947 by the way which would have made me a callow youth when the song was first penned.

The song was largely inspired by the claustrophia of South Fermanagh..I was bought up on the banks of the River Erne near Enniskillen and, I'm a River Man.   It is a song that has taken on more and more significance over the years and I have to admit that I'm very proud of it.

I have written quite a lot of other stuff but have to say that "Only Our Rivers Run Free" was the one that attracted all the attention.   Sadly so, in my view.

Thanks for all the interest and if I can help any fellow Catter in any way who wants to know more, I would be delighted to do so. Mickey.....(AKA Chordstrangler)