Interesting one. I've never heard it before despite hearing a lot of Clancys back in the day - and a lot of seasongs thereafter!

While I like Lynched's (sic) idea of "Oíche mhaith" as the response line, it's not what the Clancys were singing, to my ear. Too late to ask them, unfortunately. I remember singing shanties with Liam at a session somewhere in Tipperary many years ago - run by two (ex-?) 'catters, if I remember rightly.

Regards