Just some more info on Spancil Hill taken from a book by Sonny Enright called The Rambler From Clare.

It was originally called Cnoc Fuar Choile (the hill of the cold wood) and was somehow anglicised to Spancil Hill.

Michael Considine (the author) emigrated to The States following his brother John and his sister Mary. John died shortly after his arrival and Mary was joined later by her fiancee Patrick Clune, from the Clooney area. They married and he became a noted legal practitioner. Another brother, William(jnr) died before Michael emigrated. His other brother Pat, died leaving a his widow to look after her father-in-law William and a five month old son called John. It was John who received the poem, in the form of a letter, from his uncle Michael.

Mack the Rangers daughter was his childhood sweetheart Mary MacNamara. They planned to marry but Michael died before saving enough money to enable them to do so. Mary "Mack" remained faithful to his memory and never married. According to this source he was buried in California.

Spancil Hill fair always took place on the 23rd of June. In the song he arrived on the 23rd the daybefore the fair but in an earlier verse had said that it was also on a Sabbath morning. Observance of the Sabbath would take precedence over the fair which would've started a day late, the 24th.

There is another song called Spancil Hill, does anyone know what the air is? The first verse is as follows

I have travelled the fairs of Ireland
From Ballinasloe to Ballinakill
But my favourite one of all
Is the fair of Spancil Hill

Regards Mick Bracken

I once told Dermot O'Brien that he sang the wrong words and he wasn't too impressed!!