Well, I have to take issue. There are several 'Irish' Songs that have been adopted as 'Irish' Dirty Old Town for instance a song about Salford is most often referred to in Ireland as Irish, often in the UK to as 'Irish' In that case I'd agree that it should be credited correctly as English. But in my opinion Kathleen is in a bracket I term Irish songs by non Irish Writer. I'm not sure of Westerndorf's background but he is referred to as 'American' and living in the U.S when he wrote it so it's ridiculous to term it a German song! on that point alone. But furthermore Westerndorf wrote it as a reply to the Irish song 'Barney Take Me Home Again' so clearly the intention was to write it as an Irish song, in Irish style. To say it's not is to say a country song written by a non American isn't country, and as many fine Irish songs were written by non Irish writers, well I think I've made my point