As indicated above, the song was collected in Labrador by the late Kenny Goldstein, who was a good friend to many an itinerant traddy singer. He picked it as something that would fit Killen's style, and that he would like, and gave it to him. He was right. I believe Dave and Anni got it from LK, though I suppose it's possible they got it elsewhere. Kenny was preparing a book including much of his Labrador collection at the time of his death, in conjunction with the Canadian folklorist Edith Fowke, who died shortly after he did.