Nice article. A number of biographers have hinted and I think they're on the right track that Ford's Irishness developed grew during his lifetime having grown up with less emphasis upon that identity either out of necessity or as a sign of times not long past when "no Irish need apply". He was also not concerned about being exactly historical in such details as uniforms or the songs he chose to inject into his movies. As you recognize, too, Irish tunes are endlessly recycled and the words often transposed from performer to performer to fit their needs.
Nice article. A number of biographers have hinted and I think they're on the right track that Ford's Irishness developed grew during his lifetime having grown up with less emphasis upon that identity either out of necessity or as a sign of times not long past when "no Irish need apply". He was also not concerned about being exactly historical in such details as uniforms or the songs he chose to inject into his movies. As you recognize, too, Irish tunes are endlessly recycled and the words often transposed from performer to performer to fit their needs.