I first heard and completely learned Tom Lehrer's wicked "I hold your hand in mine" and half learned
The Irish Ballad when visiting New York in 1959 on HMS Victorious. I sing this song at practically every performance whereby I seek out some attractive or not-so attractive lady on whom I can act out the lyrics. It wasn't until I came across
Dexter Muir's interesting site that I found that over the years I managed to lose one line. I still haven't
heard the song sung by anybody else then I since 1959 and I suspect that over these almost forty years I have very likely modified the melody as well. That's folk-singing folks!