Hi,

I know some of the McPeakes and I never heard anyone of them claim that their grandfather wrote "Wild Mountain Thyme". Unfortunately the grandfather : ME DA" is dead. I suspect that it was a song that would probably have died out if not for the McPeakes singing it at every venue. The air is identical and the lyrics resemble in part the scottish " Braes of Bakquidder". A bit like the chicken or the egg.

" I'll tell my ma" is the type of song that kids could add their own words throughout the years and no place can really claim ownership of it. With many tradesmen having to travel to find work in the olden days( weavers for example), these songs went with them from place to place. so various versions can be found especially in Ireland, England, Scotland and probably Wales,and we should be glad of that.
We sang other words as well as those submitted by
GUEST,Sean MacRuaraidh such as

"My aunt Jane she's awful smart
She bakes a ring in an apple tart
combs her hair with a wagon wheel
and she died with a blister on her heel

There were other words about "washing her face in the frying pan" but the years have dimmed my memory.