▁to ▁mine ▁for ▁gold ▁in ▁California ▁during ▁the ▁California ▁Gold ▁R ush , ▁ 1 8 4 9 . ▁The ▁song ▁is ▁about ▁em igration , ▁although ▁at yp ically ▁optim istic ▁for ▁the ▁genre . ▁The ▁name ▁" M u ir she en " ▁is ▁a ▁good ▁ph on etic ▁approximation ▁to ▁the ▁pron unci ation ▁of ▁" M á irt ín " ▁( Martin ) ▁in ▁Con n acht ▁Irish ; ▁it ▁could ▁altern atively ▁be ▁constru ed ▁as ▁a ▁dimin utive ▁of ▁" M u ir is " ▁( M aur ice ). ▁A ▁pr atie ▁is ▁a ▁pot ato , ▁the ▁historical ▁st ap le ▁c rop ▁of ▁Ireland . ▁" America " ▁is ▁pron ounced ▁" Amer ic ay ", ▁as ▁was ▁common ▁among ▁G ael ic ▁pe op les ▁around ▁Ireland ▁ ▁The ▁air ▁to ▁which ▁it ▁is ▁s ung ▁is ▁" C ail í ní ▁de asa ▁M hu ig he o " ▁( pre tty ▁girls ▁of ▁May o ), ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁popular ▁re el ▁d ating ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Perform ers ▁The ▁song ▁reached ▁prom in ence ▁when ▁Johnny ▁Mc E voy ' s ▁recording ▁reached ▁no . ▁ 1 ▁in ▁Ireland ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 . ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁covered ▁by ▁the ▁following ▁artists ▁( and ▁others ): ▁ ▁Christ y ▁Moore ▁ ▁Sh aron ▁Sh annon ▁ ▁Four ▁to ▁the ▁Bar ▁on ▁their ▁live ▁album ▁Cra ic ▁on ▁the ▁Road . ▁