I had always thought that*The March of the King of Laois* was an Irish tune.
It is on the first Chieftains record. Checking their notes, I read (comparing
it to Carolan's Concerto) that it "is, possibly, a much older composition. It
is associated with the O'Moore family and may have been made in praise of
Ruairi Og O Mordha, [diacritics omitted, as I don't believe these characters
will carry through from my Mac] a 16th century head of the family with a
distinguished record in the Irish resistance movement of the time. The air
has a noble and martial quality." It is in 3/time, either a slow 6/8 or a
fast 3/4 with really only one major beat to the bar. Hope this helps.
John Roberts
1605 Lenox Rd.
Schenectady, NY 12308
518-370-4166 anglo@aol.com