One might be surprised by the title of this song, considereing how many Tidy Town Awards are handed out in Ireland. But the songwriter Ewal MacColl was referring to Salford, in the northwest of England. But the town did receive quite a many Irish in the 19th century during the Great Hunger and Luke Kelly brought this song back to the Dubliners and gave it quite a bit of recognition. So it does have a place in the Irish Folk music catalog.
