Despite being composed in America rather than Ireland, it quickly became a cultural touchstone for Irish-Americans. Olcott, an Irish-American tenor who specialized in sentimental ballads, helped popularize the song, which embodied the nostalgic view of Ireland common among the diaspora. The song achieved widespread fame through recordings by artists like...
I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen – Irish Song Lyrics
It was actually written in 1875 by Thomas Westendorf, a German-American school teacher and composer from Plainfield, Illinois. He reportedly wrote the song for his homesick wife, who was named Kathleen. Despite its American origins, the song's nostalgic themes about returning to Ireland resonated deeply with Irish immigrants and the...
The Rose of Tralee – Irish Song Lyrics
According to local legend, Mulchinock fell in love with Mary, who was known for her beauty, and nicknamed her "The Rose of Tralee." Their romance faced opposition from his family due to their different social standings. Political troubles forced Mulchinock to flee Ireland for a time, and when he returned...
The Spinning Wheel – Irish Song Lyrics
The song portrays a tender domestic scene in a traditional Irish cottage, featuring young Eileen spinning wool while her blind grandmother knits by the fire. The narrative unfolds as the grandmother pretends to fall asleep, allowing Eileen to meet with her sweetheart. The song gained significant popularity during the Irish...
The Dawning of the Day – Irish Song Lyrics
Two distinct versions have become prominent: one associated with the poet Thomas Moore who adapted it for his collection "Irish Melodies" in the early 19th century, and another version with lyrics attributed to the Irish-language poet Peadar Ó Doirnín (1704-1769). The song gained renewed popularity during the Irish cultural revival...
An Irish Lullaby – Irish Song Lyrics
It was written in 1913 by James Royce Shannon (born James Royce) for the Tin Pan Alley musical production "Shameen Dhu." The song gained tremendous popularity when it was performed by Bing Crosby in the 1944 film "Going My Way," for which Crosby won an Academy Award. Crosby's rendition cemented...
The Irish Washerwoman – Irish Song Lyrics
The tune quickly became popular across Ireland, Britain, and later in North America. Unlike many traditional Irish tunes with sentimental or historical themes, "The Irish Washerwoman" is primarily a dance tune characterized by its sprightly tempo and infectious rhythm, traditionally played on fiddle, tin whistle, or uilleann pipes. It earned...
Cockles and Mussels (Molly Malone) – Irish Song Lyrics
The ballad emerged in late 19th century Dublin, with its first published version appearing around 1884, attributed to James Yorkston. The song tells the poignant tale of a young fishmonger who sold her wares from a wheelbarrow through the streets of Dublin before dying young of a fever. While historians...
The Wearing Of The Green – Irish Song Lyrics
The color green had become associated with Irish republicanism and independence movements, making it a target for British authorities who sought to quell revolutionary sentiment. The song gained widespread popularity during the 19th century and became an anthem of Irish resistance and national identity. Several versions of the song exist,...
Give Me Your Hand – Irish Song Lyrics
Attributed to the renowned Irish harper Ruaidhrí Dall Ó Catháin (Rory Dall O'Cahan), who lived from approximately 1570 to 1650, the piece was composed during a time of significant cultural and political transition in Ireland. The song gained prominence following Ó Catháin's exile to Scotland, where he served at the...
Star of the County Down – Irish Song Lyrics
The song is set to the traditional Irish melody known as "Kingsfold," which has been used for numerous folk songs and hymns across the British Isles. Its lyrics tell the romantic story of a young man who catches sight of a beautiful woman, whom he calls "the star of the...
Father O’Flynn (Top of Cork Road) – Irish Song Lyrics
The melody originated as a traditional slip jig, but gained widespread popularity when Alfred Perceval Graves wrote lyrics to it in the late 19th century and published it in 1880. Graves, an Irish poet and songwriter who contributed significantly to the Irish literary revival, created the character of Father O'Flynn...
Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms – Irish Song Lyrics
The melody, known as "My Lodging Is On the Cold Ground," predates the lyrics and was popular in Ireland since at least the late 17th century. The poignant lyrics were written by Irish poet Thomas Moore (1779-1852) and published in 1808 as part of his collection "Irish Melodies." Moore, often...
The Lark In The Clear Air – Irish Song Lyrics
The hauntingly beautiful melody comes from County Derry in Northern Ireland, while the poignant lyrics were penned by Sir Samuel Ferguson (1810-1886), an influential Irish poet and antiquarian who dedicated much of his work to preserving Irish cultural heritage. Ferguson published the poem in his 1845 collection, though it wasn't...
Carrickfergus – Irish Song Lyrics
The song takes its name from the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and is believed to date back to the 19th century, though some musical historians suggest it may have roots in an older Scottish melody. The earliest recorded version was collected by Peter Colum from the...
The Water is Wide – Irish Song Lyrics
The song dates back to the 1600s and appears in various forms under titles like "O Waly, Waly" and "When Cockleshells Turn Silver Bells." The haunting melody and poignant lyrics about love that has cooled or become impossible to sustain resonated deeply with folk singers across the British Isles, including...
Green Grow the Lilacs – Irish Song Lyrics
The song gained significant popularity among American cowboys and settlers in the 19th century, where it underwent regional adaptations. Interestingly, there's a popular folk etymology claiming that the song's title gave rise to the term "gringo" during the Mexican-American War, as Mexican listeners supposedly heard American soldiers singing "green grow"...
Black Velvet Band – Irish Song Lyrics
The song originated in Ireland but gained widespread popularity through oral tradition and printed broadsides throughout the British Isles and later in Australia and North America. The narrative follows a classic pattern of seduction and betrayal, as the protagonist is framed for theft by the woman and subsequently transported to...
I’ll Tell My Ma – Irish Song Lyrics
Also known as "The Belle of Belfast City," this lively, upbeat tune began as a skipping and playground rhyme for young girls in Ireland's urban neighborhoods. The song's call-and-response structure made it perfect for group singing while playing games, with variations of the lyrics appearing across Ireland's different regions and...
Be Thou my Vision – Irish Song Lyrics
The text originated as an Old Irish poem called "Rop tú mo Baile" (Be Thou my Vision), attributed to the 6th-century Irish Christian poet Dallán Forgaill, though some scholars debate this attribution. For centuries, it existed as a traditional Irish monastic prayer. The poem was translated from Old Irish to...
The Kerry Dance – Irish Song Lyrics
Published around 1879, the song evokes nostalgia for rural Irish gatherings and celebrations that were disappearing during a time of significant cultural change and emigration. The song's poignant lyrics recall the joyful memories of traditional dances held in the Kerry countryside, lamenting that "the merry folk are scattered far and...
Roddy McCorley – Irish Song Lyrics
"Roddy McCorley" is a famous Irish ballad that commemorates the execution of a young Irish rebel during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. The song tells the story of Roddy McCorley, who was hanged at the Bridge of Toome in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Although historical records about the real McCorley...
The Rakes of Mallow – Irish Song Lyrics
These "rakes" were notorious for their extravagant lifestyles, drinking, gambling, and general revelry. The tune first appeared in print in 1748 in John and William Neal's "Collection of the Most Celebrated Irish Tunes," making it one of the earliest documented Irish folk melodies. The song's popularity endured through centuries of...
Down by the Salley Gardens – Irish Song Lyrics
It was published by William Butler Yeats in 1889 in "The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems," where he noted it was an "attempt to reconstruct an old song from three lines imperfectly remembered by an old peasant woman in the village of Ballisodare, Sligo." The "salley gardens" refers to...
Erin Go Bragh – Irish Song Lyrics
The phrase itself became a rallying cry for Irish independence movements, particularly associated with the United Irishmen rebellion of 1798. The song's origins are somewhat obscured by history, likely evolving from street ballads sung by Irish emigrants and revolutionaries. Its lyrics typically recount the struggles of the Irish people against...
Lakes of Ponchartrain – Irish Song Lyrics
The song tells the story of an Irish immigrant or traveler who finds himself stranded near the Lakes of Pontchartrain in Louisiana, where he falls in love with a Creole or Cajun girl who offers him shelter. Its earliest documented appearances date to American Civil War era songbooks around the...
All Through the Night – Irish Song Lyrics
The melody dates back to at least the 18th century, with the earliest printed version appearing in Edward Jones's "Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards" in 1784. The original Welsh lyrics were written by John Ceiriog Hughes, a celebrated Welsh poet, though various English translations have emerged over...
Kilgary Mountain (Whiskey in the Jar) – Irish Song Lyrics
The song tells the tale of a highwayman who robs a military officer but is ultimately betrayed by his lover, a narrative that resonated deeply in colonial Ireland where outlaws were often romanticized as folk heroes resisting British authority. Originally passed down through oral tradition, the song was first documented...
Dirty Old Town – Irish Song Lyrics
The song was created as part of a play called "Landscape with Chimneys" set in MacColl's hometown of Salford, near Manchester, England. The lyrics paint a gritty portrait of industrial urban life, with references to the gasworks, factories, and canals that characterized northern English industrial cities. The song gained prominence...