I have attempted this famous song which belongs to the Celtic folk ballad genre, lyrics of which were ironically composed by English lawyer-songwriter Frederic Weatherly, in 1910. They were set to the tune of a haunting old Irish melody called 'Londonderry Air' in 1913, which is supposed to have been discovered in the mid-19th century by a collector of old Irish music, Jane Ross, but the roots of which probably go back to 17th century Irish harp music. 'O Danny Boy', with its poignant lyrics and melody, became popular during World War I and over decades, it became an identity-song for the Irish-American diaspora, evoking a feeling of nostalgia for the homeland amongst that community. The ballad was first sung by English opera singer Elsie Griffith in 1915 and has subtle operatic overtones. The lyrics are varyingly interpreted, often, as expressing the longing of ageing Irish parents for sons gone to war, but the song may equally, especially when sung by a woman, express the painful longing of a country maiden awaiting her lover and calling out to him amongst the glens and mountains of her beautiful native land, knowing all the while that she may never see him again.