I think maybe the Irish shouldn't be blamed for appropriating a song in this instance. The website listed at the top of this thread that called it an Irish song is in England, apparently operated by an Englishman. Are the English giving away songs these days?

It is true that lots of folks, including an ex-bandmate of mine, think any music from anywhere in the British Isles is Irish. A few folks also see Scotland as a distinct source of music, but often as a subset of Irish music. Irish music became very popular several years ago, and most non-experts aren't very good at details. Also, to the misty-eyed multitude, "Celtic" is romantic and English is not. Go figure.

To be fair, I've never heard an actual person from Ireland claiming non-Irish songs. Americans, on the other hand . . .