I have adopted this song in my show. I love the effect it has on those who sing songs without thinking about their meaning. I am not afraid of rebel music, I sing it all the time, and try to use it to teach about the history of our people. And those rebel songs are very exciting. But I always slip "There Were Roses" and "The 12th of July" in, so that people always ponder the cost of war, and where the future really lies. It is interesting to note that the concepts expressed were written 150 or so years ago. A marvelous piece of work. If you want to hear the best interpretation of it that I have heard, track down a copy of "Cry of a Dreamer" by Sean Tyrell. One day I will meet this man and thank him for this song.
And by the way, Hello to my friend Philippa. I am still looking for a copy of that book for you in Irish. I will find it eventually.