P.W. Joyce, in his "Old Irish Folk Music and songs" (1909), writes as follows:

"A collection of Irish Folk Songs would be incomplete without this celebrated composition (Castlehyde). The words have been published already more than once - but there is no need for me to copy from anyone inasmuch as I remember the song-every word - from my boyhood days, by hearing the people sing it; for it was a general favourite. The song is commonly regarded as a type of the absurd English songs composed by some of the Irish peasant bards who knew English only imperfectly; and it certainly contains several ludricous expressions. But passing by these, and looking at the song as a whole, it is well conceived and very spirited. The poet had a true conception of what a song should be, but had to express it imperfectly in what was to him a foreign language. Of all this every reader can judge for himself, as I give the song entire.

In burlesque imitation of this song, Mr. Richard Alfred Milliken of Cork composed his vile caricature, "The Groves of Blarney": and this song- working as a sort of microbe- gave origin to a number of imitations of the same general character: though none of them ever surpassed Milliken's piece of buffoonery. They did not in any sense represent the people - they represented nothing indeed but the depraved taste of the several writers. Songs of this class, however, though they once swarmed in the south of Ireland, have, I am glad to say, died out."

Regards