Just a postscript to this thread. I was walking down Grafton St. - the most fashionalbe street in Dublin - the other day. I heard two tinker/traveller/itinerant (pick you noun - depends on how PC you want to be) belting out a song in perfect unison as they begged. It sounded familiar - the Transit Van! Those who know the community will see the irony, I think. It's a nice example of a modern song being rapidly absorbed into an oral tradition. They probably claim their grandfather wrote it!

Regards.