The top ten Irish songs to avoid this Saint Patrick’s Day - VIDEOS

She can move through my fair anyday. Terrible what a very attractive young woman can do to a man of my vintage (55), whose going through the womanopause. An 'auld fellah' like me could make a big eejit of himself with too many poitins (putcheens) on 'im, and a few too many shamrock joints. Sinead O'Connor's version is used to suitable tragic effect in Neil Jordan's film, Michael Collins, to flag-up the assassination of that great latter-day Irish Chieftan. But Sinead in this one makes Leonard Cohen seem positively cheerful by comparison. Steady on the melancholia, Sinead. You're depressing us all. Are you sure she's not a shareholder in the Prozac Corp. Good ol' Wolfe Tones. Should update it with 'Starvation Once Again' as a tribute to the IMF/ECB/EU troika hostile takeover of Ireland. Novel 'Celtic-punksteresque' variation of the old melancholic melody. Actually stopped-off in Athenry (phon. Ath-in-rye)(Ath an Ri/Place of the King?) on my way to Galway from Dublin to see what all th fuss was about. Quaint little place with narrow streets and impressively restored castle, (and recently murdered teacher/barman). What can one say about the good ol' Dubliner's. Absolutely timeless. But less so about Molly with the mammaries bronze statue in Grafton St. Fishmongers didn't wear ball room dress. Unless she was a fishmonger from Foxrock, which seems unlikely. Maybe she was coming home from the Trinity Ball, and was doing a nixer.

Nice collection of songs. I think they are all great. In fact, I would refer to them as Greatest Hits. Perfect choice of musicians and singers for these songs. The hit on A Nation Once Again is absurd. This Tom Davis song captures the Spirit of Freedom today just as it did in 1981 and 1845. As for Danny Boy, get over yourselves, ya bunch of haters. The third verse is the best. But should I live, and should you die for Ireland, Let not your dying thoughts be all of me, But breathe a prayer to God for our dear sireland, That He will hear, and He will set her free. And I will take your place and pike, my dearest, And strike a blow, though weak that blow may be. To help the cause to which your heart was nearest, And you will rest in peace until I come for thee.

I had a lot of fun reading this.

I'd have to question the ability of anybody who could put together such a badly written article as this.They certainly dont know much about the songs or evenbe able to make out the words. lets see if I can put the poor misguided author in the picture..... Hills of Donegal is all about planning permission for Casinos in Donegal back in the 1990s in a very tourism orientated county with high emigration figures. Molly Malone is about a Lady of the Night who also worked as a fish seller. The Fenian Record player is a typical skit and meant to be a bit of nonsense along the lines of Teddybears Head or Rock on Rockall Nationalistic and also a reflection on Irish humour. A Nation once again is hugely popular and tells of how Ireland of the time had no great heroes like the 300 Spartans at Thermopolaye or Horatius at the Bridge over the Tiber of Roman legend. Danny Boy and Irish Ways are fair comment enough. Also its pretty easy to pick out terrible versions of any song to use as an excuse. My advice to author: stick to Arts as you havent a clue about Irish popular culture.

You tell him, Mairead. :)

To the author - Are you irish? Music and stories was the only way to pass down the history of the celtic people after even the irish language was banned! I would rather sing a nation once again or the fields of athenry than listen to plastic irish rubbish like irish eyes are smiling! The point of st patrick's day to those who no longer live in ireland is to recognise and celebrate irish culture not trapple on it as your article may suggest!

You couldn't post a video of someone actually singing the Mountains of Mourne? Don McLean does a decent version (among others). I have a friend who's from Malin Head who loves the song. He also, for the record, has no problem with "The Hills of Donegal" or "Homes of Donegal" for that matter. For most of these, it's not the songs themselves, it's how they're sung and who sings them (maybe barring Fenian Record Player). Know the audience you're singing to, sing with respect, and sing what you want.

When boyhood's fire was in my blood I read of ancient freemen, For Greece and Rome who bravely stood, Three hundred men and three men; It's free men, not freedom, so it does rhyme...though I don't think Rome was involved in that little incident>??

Aw! Guys get a life. Comeallye! Late evening Craic. one in 365! Next ye'll want to play hurling indoors without the sliotar!! Good on ye Mick 1000.

Go to you tube and search Danny Boy by Michael Littwin. Screw the critics...have a listen!

We Irish-Americans love any and all Irish music merry or sad because our ancestors fled poverty and pain - they were not on "vacation." The songs of the Irish remind me of why I'm an Irish-American. We all inherited that longing for the homeland and if the "real" Irish make fun of it, tsk, tsk. Listen to Danny Boy, it's a good one.

I don't care what you think about Danny Boy it was my mother's favorite song. When I hear it I always remember her. She died when I was 12 years old and she was was 42. I also like the Mountians of Mourne sweep down to the sea. I have lots of good memories as a child spending summers in Newcastle.

Personally, I quite like Sinead's rendition of 'Irish Ways'...beautiful!

Happy.Irish.Ballads? Of course there are a few. The Boys of Kilmichael (which ends with the Black & Tans Dead and Tom's column flying home to save their own lives) comes to mind.

There must be an Englishman in your family tree; you have no IRISH in your soul. Yes, many of these are OVER done but all have their place. I'm surprised you didn't have 'Four Green Fields' and 'The Minstrel Boy' on your list.