Spancill Hill

Michael Considine was born around 1850 and emigrated to the USA from Spancil hill at around 1870. Some of his siblings came with him, but some stayed behind. One of his brothers, Patrick, died, leaving his widow to look after a five-month-old son called John. John was to become the guardian of the song when he grew up.
Working in Boston for about two years, Michael Considine went to the USA with the intention of bringing his sweetheart over and for them to be married when he had made enough money for the passage. His sweetheart was "Mac, the ranger's daughter" and not "Nell, the farmer's daughter" as in the popularised version. Her name was Mary MacNamara who, according to the 1901 census,[2] had been born in 1865 which made her only 5 years old when Michael allegedly left Ireland. The ranger's house was within eyesight from Michael Considine's home as was the tailor Quigley's.
He stayed in Boston for two years or so before moving to California. At the age of 23, he suffered from ill health for a long time and, knowing he hadn't long to live, he wrote the poem "Spancilhill" to be sent home in remembrance of his love and it was kept safe by his six-year-old nephew, John Considine.
It is said that Michael Considine died sometime in 1873 and may have been buried in the Spancilhill graveyard. These dates are disputed, not least because Mary MacNamara (who is said to have remained faithful to his memory and never married) would only have been 8 years old when Michael died.
From Wikipedia

[@RobbieDunn]

Spancil Hill sung by Robbie Dunn Trad Arr
Michael Considine was born around 1850 and emigrated to the USA from Spancil hill at around 1870. Some of his siblings came with him, but some stayed behind. One of his brothers, Patrick, died, leaving his widow to look after a five-month-old son called John. John was to become the guardian of the song when he grew up.
Working in Boston for about two years, Michael Considine went to the USA with the intention of bringing his sweetheart over and for them to be married when he had made enough money for the passage. His sweetheart was "Mac, the ranger's daughter" and not "Nell, the farmer's daughter" as in the popularised version. Her name was Mary MacNamara who, according to the 1901 census,[2] had been born in 1865 which made her only 5 years old when Michael allegedly left Ireland. The ranger's house was within eyesight from Michael Considine's home as was the tailor Quigley's.
He stayed in Boston for two years or so before moving to California. At the age of 23, he suffered from ill health for a long time and, knowing he hadn't long to live, he wrote the poem "Spancil hill" to be sent home in remembrance of his love and it was kept safe by his six-year-old nephew, John Considine.
It is said that Michael Considine died sometime in 1873 and may have been buried in the Spancilhill graveyard. These dates are disputed, not least because Mary MacNamara (who is said to have remained faithful to his memory and never married) would only have been 8 years old when Michael died.
From Wikipedia