There are many opinions on what the meaning of this poem is. In some respects, people believe the poem/song to be about child mortality in rural Ireland last century, and how the firm faith held by the Irish helped them to cope with the loss of their child. While others believe that Mary's "mantle of blue" is simply because the Virgin Mary has, since time immemorial, been associated with the colour blue (as can be seen in practically every artistic depiction of her from every Christian denomination down the centuries). A simple explanation of the poem is it is about a newborn baby and people returning from a day of work to come and see the baby.