Tim, I first learned this from the Clancy Bros. and Tommy Makem recordings. They sing the first line, "In London City where I did dwell, a butcher boy I loved right well..." Their notes in one songbook are, "This tragic and beautiful ballad is a variant of the widely known "Gosport Tragedy". It has become very popular throughout Ireland, where everyone seems to have a soft spot for a nice sad love song."
I think I have a more recent Tommy Makem tape on which he sings, "In Dublin City..." I remember reading somewhere regarding this song that there is a variation of it in every language in Europe, being such a common tragic fate of young girls. Sadly, a universal theme. Alice