Clifford was born in Cork city, though both his parents came from Kerry.
[1] The poem recalls the life of the author's boyhood friends starting from when they were young children through to the Black and Tan period, and up to Civil War.
The poem speaks of the Irish tradition of "hunting for the wran" (wren), a small bird, on St. Stephen's Day, 26 December.
[2] The song was first aired on Irish radio by singer Seán Ó Síocháin on a programme called The Balladmakers Saturday Night in the 1950s.
Christy Moore popularised it in the 1970s and later it was recorded by Seán Garvey and Tim Dennehy, both from Cahersiveen.