"it's Irish now. It's sung throughout Ireland in the pubs and associated with Irish singers, not temperance or English singers. It is through Irish singers that I learned and sung the song on numerous Saint Paddy's Day events."

Stringsinger, it's only your experience which leads you to associate it with Irish singers. My experience is different - I'm English, live in England, and so I've mainly heard it sung by English singers. It's probably the one folk song that many people know.

It may be popular in Ireland, but it's also popular elsewhere. It's only the folkies (English and Irish alike) who tend to shun it. It's therefore incorrect to accuse it of cultural stereotyping about the Irish. On the other hand, if the cap fits...