Well thank you! I've always wondered what Dulaman was about!
Hmmm... apparently it means... SEAWEED?! Lol!
The song is mostly symbolic, like a lot of Irish songs.
But it also has a bit of history associated with it.
During the potato famine, more than a million Irish people starved to death.
All the good crops were shipped to England, and there was very little for the people to eat for survival.
Those who lived near the sea and rivers were the most likely to survive, thanks to fish and .......yes, SEAWEED.
It was discovered that a certain type of seaweed was very nutritious.
Another type was good for dying linen shades of green.
One was for survival, the other could be sold and used for fashion.
This is the comparison in the song, between the two suitors.
Personal note: The house where my ancestors lived during the Famine (still there) has a trout stream running through the land at the back. It comes straight down from the mountains.
That's how my family survived. Thanks be to God.
You never get tired of trout when your life depends on it!