Hi Martin Ryan,

So you're going to have me deleted, are you? I guess what I said makes you feel uncomfortable or maybe you just like deleting people.

My primary motive here is not to stir up political controversy, as you put it, but just a long overdue attempt to put the record straight and to warn people of a particularly pernicious trend which is being carefully nutured by various people with the aim of denigrating other people. Also, I have never liked cultural bodysnatchers! I might add that I dont like people who issue veiled threats to others either.

The Carrickfergus thing relates to the fact that some people claim the song to be a Munster one. As I recall, this is based on the fact that someone (i think it may have been one of the Clancy brothers)heard it being sung in Gaelic by a street musician near Cork in the 1950s. My point is that quite a few songs have been written in English and then translated/interpreted into Gaelic and vice versa. Consequently, the language of performance does not necessarily indicate the origin of the song.

However, more annoying was the reaction of one Ulster Catholic acquaintance of mine who said he didnt believe the song was from the "North of Ireland" (to use a Steinbeckism) because "it was too beautiful" to have been written by anyone there. I assume he includes his fellow co-religionists (40%approx of the NI population) among that band of incapable "anyones"!

For your information my name is ROY McLEAN. I trust this will help you in your noble, community spirited efforts to get me deleted.

PS. Please, no more advice about giving names and "sticking to things"