Lanfranc posted:   "Once the Hibernians got hold of it, changed the title and adopted it on the basis that "Willie McBride" must have been Irish (why not Scottish?), ...."

Two things that point out that Willie was Irish:

Firstly - his surname "Mc" is generally Irish Gaelic for "Son of" whilst the Scottish is generally spelled "Mac".

Secondly; the song clearly states -

"And, though you died back in 1916,
To that loyal heart are you forever 19?"

The only 'Private Willie McBride' who died in 1916 and AGED 19 when he was killed in February of that year - and buried in a northern French War Cemetery was:
William McBride; Pvte. Service Number 21046 of the Royal Inniskillen Fusiliers. Killed on Feb 10th, 1916 (between the fighting in the Battles for Loos and prior to the Somme Offensive lead-up.

I once wrote to Bogle about this and his reply - and fairly succinct, was a simple - "That sounds like the one"

Muttley.

Steve Suffet also believes he was Irish - not sure he spoke to Bogle - but in messages back and forth between us I believe he said he HAD spoken to Bogle about his own "Willie McBride's Reply" and Bogle had not taken him to task for the lines -
"And call it ironic that I was cut down;
While in Dublin my kinfolk were fightin' the Crown.
But in Dublin or Flanders the cause was the same:
To resist the oppressor; whatever his name"