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The Gaelic tune Siubhail a Gradh (Shule Aroon) arose out of the 1688 Irish rebellion against British rule.
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The Treaty of Limerick terminated the hostilities in 1691 giving Irish warriors the option to take the oath of allegiance to England or leave Ireland for exile and military service on the continent.
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Many Irish patriots enlisted in the French army to fight against the English.
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Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier derived from Shule Aroon and was a favorite with both the men who fought and their wives and sweethearts back home.
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During the French and Indian War the Irish youth drafted into the British Army adapted the song.
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During the Revolution, it was popular with rebel soldiers and their families.
