This is the earliest clip I’ve ever seen of the Dubliners, back when they still went by the moniker of the Ronnie Drew Folk Group. I’ve written about McAlpine’s Fusiliers in an earlier post, you can refer to that if you want to know a bit more of the history of Sir Robert McAlpine. The lead vocal is by the great Ronnie Drew. Ronnie, sadly, is apparently in ill health, and receiving treatment for cancer.

In what appears to be a wee bit of censorship, Drew changes the last line of the song from:

If you pride your life
don’t join by Christ
with McAlpine’s Fusiliers

to:

If you pride your life
don’t join by God
with McAlpine’s Fusiliers