on 02 Nov 07, guest "songster" asked about Bean an Fhir Rua being called a "curse song". I have read the following reference at www.duchas.ie
It was collected by a school child in Co Kerry as part of a class project. Similar collections were made at other schools as well.

“My mother told me that her father, who is a long time dead, knew a certain man who got sick.[The priest was sent for but in those days he had to walk so it took time.He was going as fast as he could when he was surprised by a sound of someone singing a wonderful song. The voice was so beautiful that he stopped to listen, forgetting for the moment his urgent mission. By the time he reached the house, the sick man had already died. The priest thought then that he had heard the voice of a demon, singing]to keep him from preparing the sick man so that he would die without the priest. It was strongly supposed the song they sung was called the red haired man's wife. The priest afterwards cursed the song they sung."