It really does seem strange the way the name Riley or Reilly crops up in any number of songs which are only remotely related.

I sometimes wonder if there's a real fella at the back of them all. Sort of early "Kilroy was here".

Or maybe it's just that it's a name that seems to roll off the tongue in a peculiarly satisfying way. Names like Murphy or Kelly just wouldn;'t work the same way. That would tie up with the way the name turns up also in songs like Ol' Riley, as well as in the broken token songs.