The name "Muirsheen" is a good phonetic approximation to the pronunciation of "Máirtín" (Martin) in Connacht Irish; it could alternatively be construed as a diminutive of "Muiris" (Maurice).
"America" is pronounced "Americay", as was common among Gaelic peoples around Ireland.
[2] The air to which it is sung is "Cailíní deasa Mhuigheo" (pretty girls of Mayo), which is a popular reel dating from the 19th century.
[4] It has been covered by the following artists (and others): "Molly Durkin" is a derivation made popular by Murty Rabbett in the 1940s in the United States.
[5] The song has a lively tempo and tells a whimsical tale of a man who decides to give up his work as a mortar shoveller in order to take up mining gold.