RE MartinRyan
My account above is as correct a version of the origins of this song as is possible to get. Frankly I'm amazed at the sheer ignorance of a few posts on here. You can check my version with any historical account of Behan's life or with any Irish musical Scholar, though none come higher rated than my good self.
With references to those who claim The Auld triangle is a term for human sexual organs, Brendan was a man of great humour but he would have certainly laughed at that, it os of course total nonsense. Soodlums is also wrong re The Trisoner. Behan wrote the song long before The Prisoner was even conveived, where on earth they got that from is a mystery!