I appreciate the response and I'll see if I can get all of the lyrics I heard from the celtic version. The only thing that tipped me off was that the melody lines: "Let her go, let her go, God bless her" were identical. We lived in New Orleans for 6-7 years back in the early 80s and were privileged to still hear some of the real old timers play this often. It wasn't requested much by the tourists but when the musicians played for themselves, it usually came up during a set once a night. So the tune sort of stays with you in a haunting kind of way. Most of the musicians who are all gone now, God rest them, each had slight variations of the basic lyric depending upon who was doing the vocals but followed the general lines about the bar room and old Joe with the blood shot eyes. We do play with the guitarist, Julie on occasion in a celtic pub. When I asked about the number, she said I was only the second person who she knew ever heard of the song and recognized it. She had not heard the New Orleans or blues version, i.e., Josh White. I'm running a CD now taping the Preservation Hall version for her. If I get the lyrics, I'll post them because even these did not seem the same as the Christy Moore lyrics listed in the Mudcat Forum. I'll be in touch.