The following are often-sung Irish folk ballads and folk songs. The songs are arranged by theme under the categories "Politics and soldiering" and "Non-political" and are not necessarily contemporary to the events to which they relate.
Songs may fit into more than one category, but where possible, are grouped uniquely to where is most appropriate.
Anti-war and anti-recruiting
"Arthur McBride" – an anti-recruiting song from Donegal, probably originating during the 17th century.[1]
"The Recruiting Sergeant" – song (to the tune of "The Peeler and the Goat") from the time of World War 1, popular among the Irish Volunteers of that period, written by Séamus O'Farrell in 1915, recorded by The Pogues.[2][3]
"Mrs. McGrath" – popular among the Irish Volunteers, 1916[1]
"The Saxon Shilling" – written by K. T. Buggy, 1840s[4][5]
"The Woods of Trugh" – concerning Eoin Roe O'Neill
"Seán Ó Duibhir a'Ghleanna" (transl.Sean O'Dwyer of the Glen) – an Irish-language song dealing with the aftermath of the Battle of Aughrim in 1691, Roud Index no. 16907. Translated by George Sigerson.[8]
"Carraigdhoun" (also "Carraig Donn", "The Lament of the Irish Maiden") – song about the 1690s Wild Geese written by Denny Lane (1818–95) in the 1840s.[10] Recorded by Mary O'Hara, the McPeake family (1960s) and Kathleen Behan (mother of Brendan, 1978) to the same melody as "The Mountains of Mourne."
"Clare's Dragoons"[11] – written by Thomas Davis about one of the divisions of the Irish Brigades.
"Mo Ghile Mear" – written by Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill, it is a lament by the Gaelic goddess Éire for Bonnie Prince Charlie, who was then in exile.
"Gaol of Clonmel" (also known as the "Jail of Cluain Meala" (sung by Luke Kelly) and the "Convict of Clonmel") – translation by Jeremiah Joseph Callanan of the Irish-language "Príosún Chluain Meala", a song from the time of the Whiteboys[12]
"The Croppy Boy" – There are at least two songs by this name: "It was early, early in the spring..." and "Good men and true in this house...". They are concerned with the period following the suppression of the rebellion and how the climate of repression saw relatives and close family deny any links to condemned rebels for fear of being deemed guilty by association.[15]
"Croppies Lie Down" – a Unionist or Orangeman's perspective on the rebels triumphant defeat[18]
"General Munroe", "Henry Munroe", "General Munroe's Lamentation" and "Henry Joy" – all songs about the United Irish leader Henry Joy McCracken.[18]
"The Heroes of '98" – patriotic song by Bruce Scott.
"Irish Soldier Laddie" – modern song about the events of 1798, written by Paddy McGuigan of the Barleycorn
"Jimmy Murphy" – song of music hall origin with distinctly unusual chorus
"Kelly of Killanne" – ballad by P.J. McCall (1861–1919), recounting the exploits of John Kelly, one of the most popular leader of the Wexford rebels.[9]
"The Liberty Tree" – anonymous United Irishmen ballad in praise of the French Revolution[5]
"The Man from God Knows Where" – poem by Florence Wilson (set to music by Tom Hickland of Five Hand Reel) about Thomas Russell, leader of the United Irishmen in Ulster, executed in Downpatrick in 1803[18]
"The Memory of the Dead" – ballad recalling the rebellion's heroes by John Kells Ingram[5]
"Races of Castlebar", epic of French rider in the streets of Castlebar[citation needed]
"The Rising of the Moon" – written by John Keegan Casey in the 1860s, this ballad invokes the hope and optimism surrounding the outbreak of the Irish rebellion of 1798.[15]
"The Sean-Bhean Bhocht" – the "poor old woman", i.e. Ireland, is about to be liberated in tandem with the French; also known as "The French are on the Sea"[15]
"Sliabh na mBan" – an Irish-language song composed by Michéal O Longáin of Carrignavar and translated by Seamus Ennis, about the massacre in July 1798 of a party of Tipperary insurgents at Carrigmoclear on the slopes of Slievenamon[18][20]
"The Wind That Shakes the Barley" – a young man's remorse at leaving his lady love to join the United Irishmen is cut short when she is killed by an English bullet (Roud Index 2994). Written by Robert Dwyer Joyce (1836–1883).[21][22]
19th century
"An Spailpín Fánach" (transl.The Wandering Labourer), relating to the time of the Irish Brigades in France. The air is "The Girl I Left Behind". Translated by George Sigerson as "The Roving Worker"[18]
"Patrick Sheehan (The Glen of Aherlow)" – by Charles Kickham, based on the true story of an Irish soldier wounded in the Crimean War.[9]
"She Is Far From The Land" – written by Thomas Moore.[19]
Skibbereen (also called "Dear Old Skibbereen", "Revenge for Skibbereen" or "Remember Skibbereen") – a 19th-century song by Patrick Carpenter recalling the Irish Famine of 1845–1847.[23]
"The Plains of Waterloo" – several songs by this name,[18] including "As I rode out one bright summer's morning...", "On the fourteenth day of June, me boys...".
"Welcome Napoleon to Erin" – recorded by Frank Harte[26]
The Great War 1914–1918
"The Connaght Rangers" – by Charles Martin.[29] Not to be confused with the song of the same name by Brian Warfield which refers to the mutiny of the First Battalion of the regiment in response to the Irish war of independence.
"Salonika" – there were two Cork songs with this title about the Irish serving in the British Army in the First World War, one for and one against. Jimmy Crowley collected the verses in his version from Mrs Ronayne of County Cork.[31][32][33]
"Ashtown Road" – a song about an ambush in Dublin in which an IRA Volunteer, Martin Savage, died. Recorded by The Wolfhound (singer Ray McAreavey) in 1972.[37]
"The Broad Black Brimmer – written by Art McMillan from Belfast in praise of the IRA during the War of Independence 1919–21 and specifically the IRA of the Civil War and after.[1] Recorded by the Barleycorn, the Wolfe Tones and others.
"The Station of Knocklong" – song about the rescue of Seán Hogan by his colleagues from the Third Tipperary Brigade with the assistance of the East Limerick Brigade, from a guarded train in May 1919.[41]
"The Woodlands of Loughglinn" – about the shooting of two local IRA men by the Black-and-Tans at Loughglinn, written by Mary-Anne Regan from Kilgariff, Castlerea, recorded by Brendan Shine and others[citation needed]
Civil War and post-Treaty Republicanism (1922-1969)
"Galtee Mountain Boy" – the original three verses were composed by Patsy Halloran, with a fourth verse later added by Christy Moore. The song has been recorded by many artists including Christy Moore, The Wolftones, and Paddy Reilly. The song tells the story of young volunteer who joined a flying column during the war of independence and was later captured and sentenced to die by Free Staters in the Civil War.[45]
"Drumboe Martyrs" (or "Drumboe Castle") – written about a Civil War incident by Michael McGinley (1853–1940) of Ballybofey.[15][39]
"The Old Alarm Clock" – song by Phil Kelly about the Sabotage Campaign (IRA) of 1939, to the tune of "The Garden Where the Praties Grow".[2]
"England's Gallows Tree" - written by Brian O'Higgins about Peter Barnes and James McCormack who were hanged in 1940 during the IRA S-Plan
"The Ballad of Billy Reid" – song recorded by the Wolfe Tones, Shebeen, and others, about Provisional IRA member Billy Reid (killed in May 1971).[48]
"The Ballad of Ed O'Brien" – song about Edward O'Brien who died in a bus explosion in London.
"The Ballad of Joe McCann" – song by Brian Moore ("Whoriskey") about the assassination of the Official IRA activist, performed by Belfast band Men of No Property.[49]
"The Ballad of Joe McDonnell" – song about hunger striker Joe Mcdonnell, written by The Wolfe Tones.
"Gibraltar 3" – song by Andy O'Donnell, performed by the Fianna, in memory of the Gibraltar Three.
"Enniskillen – At The War Memorial" – song about the Enniskillen Remembrance Day bombing of 1987
"Fightin' Men of Crossmaglen" – about South Armagh republicans
"Give Me Your Hand" (Tabhair dom do Lámh) – words of reconciliation composed by Brian Warfield of the Wolfe Tones in 1974 to a 17th-century tune by Ruairí 'Dall' Ó Catháin
"Rock on Rockall – also known as "You'll get F'All from Rockall" – a satirical song from the Wolfe Tones, about Rockall, an Irish island disputed by Britain, Denmark and Iceland.
"Roll of Honour" – Republican song about the hunger strike of 1981 Written and performed by the Irish Brigade
"Rubber Bullets for the Ladies" – 1970s song about the British Army in Northern Ireland
"SAM Song" – song praising the Provisional IRA and their acquisition of surface to air missiles Written and performed by the Irish Brigade
"The Old Bog Road" – a poem by Teresa Brayton from Kilcock, County Kildare, set to music by Madeline King O'Farrelly from Rochfortbridge, County Westmeath.[52]
"Hot Asphalt" – song about Irish navvies in Britain. The original version was a humorous song. It was re-written with new words in 1959 by Ewan MacColl as part of his Radio Ballads. Recorded by The Dubliners and Frank Harte.
"Paddy on the Railway" – a compilation of verses of Irish work songs sung in England and the USA.[1]
"Missing You" – a popular Christy Moore song about the forgotten emigrants who worked in England during the 1980s. Written by Jimmy MacCarthy.[7]
"The Cobbler" – Irish version of a song also called "Dick Darby", collected by Sam Henry and others.[21][25]
"Building up and tearing England down" – Song about Irish workers in British infrastructure, written by Brendan Behan and popularised by The Dubliners.
Love and romance
These songs can be grouped as: aislings, broken token songs, night visiting songs, modern songs, etc.
"The Agricultural Irish Girl" – words and music by J F Mitchell, 1885, probably composed in America. Recorded by Val Doonican, among many others.[15]
"A Kiss in the Morning Early" – a song that goes back to the 19th century, recorded by Mick Hanly in 1976 and Niamh Parsons in 2002.[15]
"A Stór mo Chroí" (transl.Darling of my Heart) – recorded by Sarah & Rita Keane (1960s, on Claddagh), Dervish, Bonnie Raitt, Nora Butler and others
"The Banks of the Bann" – a broadside ballad to the melody of the Irish hymn "Be Thou My Vision". The hymn ("Bí Thusa 'mo Shúile") was translated from Old Irish into English by Mary Elizabeth Byrne, in Ériu (the journal of the School of Irish Learning), in 1905. The English text was first versified by Eleanor Hull, in 1912. The ballad is also called "The Brown Girl" and found in a number of variants.[55]
"The Black Velvet Band" – Irish version of a broadside ballad dating back to the early 19th century[56]
"The Blooming Flower of Grange" – a love song from County Wexford, recorded by Paul O'Reilly in Waterford in 2007.[57]
"Connemara Cradle Song" – written and recorded by Delia Murphy[53]
"Courtin' in the Kitchen" – an old Dublin song recorded by Delia Murphy, among others[53]
"Come With Me Over The Mountain", also known as "O'er the Mountain" – recorded by Wexford traditional singer Paddy Berry in 2007.[57]
"Danny Boy" – one of the most popular Ireland-related songs, though the lyrics were written by an Englishman and only later set to an Irish tune[58]
"Easy and Slow" – a Dublin song of somewhat constant innuendo[24]
The Moorlough Shore (Roud 2742) – 19th-century song recorded by Dolores Keane, Paddy Tunney, Boys of the Lough and others.[68]
"My Singing Bird"
"Siúil A Rúin" (transl.Walk, my love) – a macaronic love song, one of the most widely-sung Irish songs, recorded by dozens of artists both in Ireland and abroad.
"Single Again" – also known as I Wish I Was Single Again.
"Star of the County Down" – written by Cathal McGarvey (1866–1927), about a young man falling in love with the county's most beautiful lass. "My Love Nell" and other songs are also sung to the same air.
"The Star of Donegal" – an old song recorded by Delia Murphy.[53]
"The Whistling Gypsy" – composed by songwriter Leo Maguire in 1952 and first recorded in that year by Joe Lynch on the Glenside label, and by Rose Brennan for HMV in London, in October 1953.[75]
"The Big Marquee" - song by Christy Moore which refers to Cork and a number of Cork-focused songs including "The Lonely Woods of Upton" and "The Boys of Fairhill".[80]
"The Flight of Earls" – song by Liam Reilly, formerly of Bagatelle, about the Irish diaspora leaving in the 1950s and 1960s to search for work; recorded by the Wolfe Tones and by the Dublin City Ramblers.
"Glanworth You're Calling Me Back Home" – a song about the village of Glanworth in County Cork, written in 2022 by Eddie Quinlan a native of Ballylegan.[86]
"The Homes of Donegal" – written by local teacher Seán McBride (1902–1996) in 1955, first recorded by Charlie Magee (his brother-in-law) and later by Paul Brady[89]
"Spancill Hill" – an emigrant's dream of returning home to his native County Clare[7]
"The Spanish Lady" – a Dublin song, but can also refer to Galway and Belfast[24]
"The Stone Outside Dan Murphy's Door" – written in the 19th century by Johnny Patterson[51]
"The Tumble Down Shack in Athlone" – one of several "Irish" songs written by Monte Carlo and recorded by John McCormack[96]
"Lock Hospital" (also known as "St. James Hospital" and "The Unfortunate Rake"), Irish version of a song also found in Britain and the USA (where it developed into "The Dying Cowboy" and "St. James Infirmary)"[97]
"When I Mowed Pat Murphy's Meadow" – originally a poem by M. J. Devine whose people came from North Kerry. Recorded by the McNulty family in the US and was a hit for P. J. Murrihy in Ireland.[98]
"Nell Flaherty's Drake" – written (in Irish) by Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin (1748–1782), a translation of which by Frank O'Connor appeared in A Broadside, 1935. In Cork called "Ned Flaherty's Drake".[16][21]
"The Night the Goat Broke Loose on Grand Parade" – a Cork song from the 1930s, recorded by Dick Hogan (on Wonders of the World).
"O'Rafferty's Motor Car" – recorded by Val Doonican[106]
"The Peeler and the Goat" – an old song recorded by Delia Murphy.[9][53]
"Rafferty's Racin' Mare" – written by Percy French.[59]
"A Sailor Courted a Farmer's Daughter" – found mainly in Northern Ireland, a version of a song also called The Constant Lovers (Roud 993, Laws O41).[22] A parody was written by Percy French and recorded by Dominic Behan.[15][109]
"Shake Hands with Your Uncle Dan" – written in the 19th century by Johnny Patterson[51]
"Tim Finigan's Wake" – also known as "Finnegan's Wake" – mid 19th-century broadside and music-hall song published in New York, attributed to John F. Poole,[116] to an air called "The French Musician"[16][117]
Beinern, Guy (2007). Remembering the year of the French: Irish folk history and social memory. Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p.147. ISBN978-0299218249.
An Cumann Le Béaloideas Éireann/The Folklore of Ireland Society: Béaloideas, A study of the 'Dead Lover's Return' in Irish tradition. Dublin, 1983. pp. 126 et passim
O'Connor, Jennifer (1986). "Canadian Journal for Traditional Music". The Irish Origins and Variations of the Ballad "Molly Brown". Canadian Journal for Traditional Music. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
The Colahans – A Remarkable Galway Family, Diarmuid Ó Cearbhaill, Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society, volume 54, 2002, pp.121–140.
ASCAP 1952 (2006). "Music, songs, composers". The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 10 August 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
A.L.Lloyd, Folksong in England (London, 1967), pp. 219–220. It was collected in County Cork in 1848 and the singer said he learned it in Dublin in 1790.