Joe come on and read what I said. I never suggested there was anything wrong with anyone singing "Dirty Old Town" and relating to that said song and it having resonance for them and their locality. In fact I said that songs are the property of the whole world. I simply suggested that there is nothing wrong with knowing the origins of a song and for me I like to know the origins. It is wrong though to attribute a song incorrectly.

And yes there are connections between Scotland and Ireland just as there are connections between Scotland and England and connections between all of us. The songs I mentioned though were not Irish songs in any way. One was written by a guy who was born and brought up not far from where I live here in the Scottish Borders and had moved to Australia. He wrote it shortly after visiting British World War I graves whilst touring Europe. The second was written by an Englishman of Scottish parentage who was born and brought up in Salford and the song was written specifically as a musical interlude for his play set in the said place.

Of course there is nothing wrong with anyone relating to these songs but it is simply incorrect to claim them as Irish songs! Which is what happens a lot of the net. "No Man's Land" is no more an Irish song than "I Would Walk 500 Miles" by The Proclaimers is an English song. Scotland is closer to England than it is to Ireland and is culturally shares lots with England too. There is probably more that connects us culturally than what separates us. That doesn't make Scottish songs English though!