SEE VIDEO- Top Irish pub Songs of all time
The Irish everywhere love a singlaong, especially in a warm Irish pub as night draws on. Its a poor performer that can’t handle a tune or two!
Here is our list of great songs, with great stories, sung by great musicians –
Whiskey In the Jar
Set in the mountains of Cork and Kerry and Fenit, County Kerry this song tells the tale of a highway man who is betrayed by his wife or lover. This tune has have been recorded by various artists since the 1950s including The Dubliners and probably most famously Thin Lizzy. In 1998 it was recorded by heavy metal band Metallica.
The Wild Rover
The origin of the song is contested. Professor T.M Devine has said the song is about temperance. He believes it was adopted in Scotland by the Americans who used it in the Temperance movement. Although nowadays it has far more connection to Irish pubs and drinking.
Another theory is that it’s was part of a collection of ballads from between 1813 and 1838 that were held in the Bodleian Library.
Rocky Road To Dublin
This song tells the tale of a man travelling from him home in Tuam, County Galway to Liverpool. The song was partially recited several times in James Joyce’s “Ulysses” by Mr Deasey.
Mursheen Durkin
Mursheen Durkin is the story of an emigrant from Ireland travelling to mine for gold in California during the Gold Rush.
Finnegans Wake
Dated from the 1850s and the music-hall tradition of comical songs it is one of The Dubliners better know songs. The Clancy Brothers have also recorded it as well as the more recent Dropkick Murphys.
Molly Malone
Molly Malone is the official anthem of Dublin City. So much so that there is a statue of Molly at the end of Grafton Street in the city center and June 13 is Molly Malone Day.
It tells the story of a fishmonger named Molly and her admirer. She later dies of a fever but her ghost still wheels the barrow through Dublin
Mountain Dew
This song was printed in a collection of songs called “Irish Street Ballads” in 1916. It is about the intoxicating properties of Irish moonshine, Poitín. It was first recorded in New York in 1927.
Most famously it is referenced in The Pogues “Fairytale of New York”:
“And then he sang a song
“The Rare Auld Mountain Dew”
The Gypsy Rover
This tune, sometimes called “The Whistling Gypsy” has a blurred history but was eventually copyrighted by Dublin songwriter, Leo Maguire in around 1950. In the past it has been recorded by The Clancy Brothers, The Kingston Trio, The Highwaymen (who had a Top 40 hit with the song), Elton Hayes, The Seekers, The Wiggles, Carmel Quinn and Glenn Yarbrough.
Lannigan's Ball
"Lanigan's Ball" is often used as a metaphor to describe a situation that has gone horribly awry. The song tells the story of a party that is thrown for a specific young man’s recently passed father. There is a suggestion in the song that the party is being thrown so that the young man can show off his dancing skills. There is drinking at the party and someone steps out of line causing one of the guests to be insulted. A “ruckus” breaks out and a musician and instrument are injured.
What songs would be on your top Irish songs list?
15 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Prevailer | Feb 12, 2011, 06:00 AM EST
'Danny Boy' at the bar and at the wake. It gets the soul attention.
JoanKaren | Jan 29, 2011, 03:11 PM EST
hard to pick just one, I'd rather add Brennan on the Moor or Outlawed Raparee and the great Liam Clancy singing Dirty Old Town.
Searlit | Jan 29, 2011, 02:50 PM EST
I'd have a hard time picking only 10 of Luka Bloom's best songs!
kimcady | Jan 27, 2011, 08:31 AM EST
Outstanding my Irish friends. God Bless ya all!
pilib04 | Jan 26, 2011, 07:24 PM EST
Liam Keyes says Kevin Barry was sung around the world by Irishmen. Liam is half right. Actually it was sung and recorded in 160 different languages including 60 different chinese dialects. Russing, Polish, Hungarian, Slovak, Vietnamese, etc. Kevin Barry was recorded by Paul Robeson.. you can listen on youtube just google Paul Robeson, Kevin Barry. and of course, don't forget Luka Bloom (Christie Moore's brother) was born Kevin Barry Moore.
pilib04 | Jan 26, 2011, 07:12 PM EST
I'd love to see something similar on Traditional Irish Songs, one set for songs in English language and another set for Irish language.
Domerx3 | Jan 26, 2011, 04:39 PM EST
Wild Rover #1. You forgot Wild Colonial Boy.
Fightin69th | Jan 26, 2011, 03:09 PM EST
"Dirty Old Town", "Fields of Athenry", "N17", "Com'on Elleen", "Celtic symphony", "Put'em Under Pressure"(1990 World Cup Song), Where the Streets Have No Name". All these always get the crowd going
yvonnehutton | Jan 26, 2011, 01:51 PM EST
Awesome.
haikued2 | Jan 26, 2011, 01:20 PM EST
I still vote for Patsy Watchorn as the best of the pub singers. He is now with The Dubliners, but worked out of The Lower Deck for years. Great voice and has at least 4 albums worth finding and buying...you can do so online. He is not quite as old as the rest of The Dubliners, but no spring chicken, either.
Sparklet | Jan 26, 2011, 01:15 PM EST
The Holy Ground.
Liamkeyes | Jan 26, 2011, 11:51 AM EST
There so many that it would be difficult to pick a top ten to satisfy, The Fields's of Athenry deserves to be in there someplace. Kevin Barry became famous throughout the World and without the modern technology available at the time. It was banned by the BBC (British Brodcasting Corporation)because of it's anti-British tone. It was banned by Radio Eireann at the request of Kevin's Mother and was not played on the Irish Airwaves until she passed away in the late Fifties. It was sung throughout the World by Irishmen serving in the American and British Forces. Of course a case could me made for lots of other Irish Songs.
concannon | Jan 26, 2011, 11:17 AM EST
What about "The Fields of Athenry"! I've heard it in every pub that had a musician, usually towards the end of the evening, and seen grown men cry while singing it!!
jerryoneill | Jan 26, 2011, 09:56 AM EST
Less singing, more drinking!
pugsmom | Jan 26, 2011, 09:30 AM EST
I hadn't thought before now to use this site to try and locate a wonderfully energetic, and at the same time, beautiful CD I bought in a local bookstore about 8 or 9 years ago. It was titled "Whiskey in the Jar." There were absolutely NO musicians names (all male, as far as I know) listed anywhere on the label. It sounded as if it had been recorded before a crowd of people....not necessarily a concert venue...perhaps in a large pub, MAYBE a concert hall? At any rate, it contained, of course, Whiskey in the Jar, Danny Boy, Carrickfergus, The Fields of Athenry, Three Drunken Sisters (a medley), Mary of Donloe(spelling!), The Irish Rover, one beautifully moving song about a man emigrating to America, and several other delightful songs that I can't recall at this writing. This CD cost me a total of $4.00 in a bargain bin, and became, at first hearing, my absolute favorite CD. It's gone missing, and I canNOT find, ANYWHERE, this exact CD. Of course, not knowing the musicians names, or the name of the group, doesn't help, at all, but I'm hoping this might jog someone's memory and help me find another copy! Amazon has several renditions of these songs, on various other CDs, but not this exact one. Thanks for any help, or insight!