A few notes on McCafferty, Patrick McCaffrey [the name appears in a variety of spellings] was born in Mullingar Co Westmeath Ireland, McCaffrey moved to Mossley in Lancashire and worked for a time in the Cotton Mills before enlisting in October 1860 into the 32nd Regiment, this was the Cornish Light Infantry.

On Friday 13th of September, McCaffrey was acting as Picket-sentry near the Officers Quarters. The adjutant Captain Hanham, came out to complain to McCaffrey about the noise of some children playing, and asked him to remove them and to find their parents name. Hanham felt that McCaffrey complied with his orders in a half-hearted way and sent him to the guardroom. McCaffrey appeared before his C.O,. Colonel Crofton the following morning, and was sentenced to fourteen days Confined to Barracks. McCaffrey having gone to his Barrack room took up his Rifle and as Colonel Crofton and Captain Hanham were crossing the Barrack Square shot Hanham and the same bullet also killed Colonel Crofton.

McCaffrey was sentenced to death by hanging at Liverpool Assizes in December, and the sentence was carried out on Saturday 11 January in front of Kirkdale Gaol, in Liverpool.

The song was a particular favourite of many old World War One veterans and also was widely sung during the folk revival in the late 60s. Ard Mhacha