Talk:Spancil Hill

Some things just don't add up

Some things just don't add up. If Michael Considine emigrated in 1870 his "true love" at that time would've been about 5 years old. According to the 1901 census Mary MacNamara was born around 1865. She never married, or at least she hadn't married by 1901 and was living with her brother John MacNamara.

Brother Patrick, who died young, was married to Kate O'Connell. Their son John, Michael's nephew, was born in 1876.

The poem "Spancilhill" that was sent home and kept safe by his six year old nephew, John Considine must've been sent in 1882.

Is there any proof that Michael died in 1873?

Brakn (talk) 17:39, 16 December 2008 (UTC)

I agree. It all seems rather strange. Also, I've noticed several websites claim that Michael Considine was born ca 1859 and died ca 1873, while at the same time stating that he was 23 when he wrote the poem. Is it possible that the years have somehow gotten confused and he actually emigrated in 1880 and died in 1883, rather than 1870 and 1873? If so, the other information given seems to make more sense. Mary MacNamara would have been about 15 when Michael left and John would have received the letter in 1882, when he was six, relatively shortly before Michael died. Maitreya (talk) 13:24, 21 February 2011 (UTC)

The sources referenced in the article seem dubious and may be just propagating rumors regarding the origin of the song. I am doing some research to attempt to re-write the article using proper sources, but I'm not sure if I will be able to get to the bottom of this. Niado (talk) 15:09, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

Original vs traditional

Can anyone explain the difference between "original version" and "traditional version" ? Does "traditional" stand for "popular" ?

The "traditional" version is the version that has been performed by various artists for over (maybe?) 100 years. The "original" version is the supposed manuscript that the "traditional" version developed from over time. Niado (talk) 15:01, 8 February 2013 (UTC)

"Spancil Hill" has been recorded by

"Spancil Hill" has been recorded by (in alphabetical order) the world and his wife, please add! Brakn (talk) 21:21, 22 July 2013 (UTC)

No refs to half of these. Brakn (talk) 20:49, 12 November 2013 (UTC)