Hi Kenny, both Christy and the Fureys (and their dad Ted) were at the 1968 Blair festival- not before that- I'm quite sure of that as me and my pal Jim Irvine guided them up there. Think the song was on Christy's first LP- as you say, it's now almost unobtainable, partly because Christy buys them up if he gets the chance as he hates it! Told a pal of mine about that & he said he had a signed copy!
I, like Vic would be fascinated to hear of banjoman's 78 of D Stewart singing this wonderful tragic song.
About Eddie driving his car into the river, am not surprised, as none of us held back on the alcohol consumption- mind you if the river Ericht was in its frequent state of flood, he'd have finished up in the North Sea! Mind you it was a lovely summer, so the story could be a true 'un?