# Favorite Irish Song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 16, 2017, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359 "2017-03-16T23:38:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/41 "2017-03-17T22:53:18Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > [If I Should Fall from Grace with God](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4v6aNjGFFk) - The Pogues > > There are many songs by The Pogues you could have on this list. I just chose this one because it was the first one that came to mind. Was gonna post [The Sickbed of Cuchullain!](https://youtu.be/CcPIA6_zKX4) ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2017, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/42 "2017-03-18T03:17:18Z")
[Wild mountain Thyme/Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BEl5hTNWh8) StG ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/43 "2017-03-18T03:24:26Z")
[You Can’t Be Irish If You’re Gay](https://youtu.be/-yoxHkX71Tk) ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2017, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/44 "2017-03-18T12:18:30Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > [Kilkelly Ireland](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRHQAtKbRTk) > > Happy St.Paddy’s Day. Ha! We’ve had two “saddest song ever” threads in the past 10 years, and this pretty much was the winner both times. ---
**Author:** ![Donegal\_Dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Donegal\_Dragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donegal_Dragon)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2017, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/45 "2017-03-18T12:35:24Z")
The Road to Ballygareen Louise Mulcahy ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/46 "2017-03-18T23:52:27Z")
[Raglan Rd](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuafmLvoJow) by Luke Kelly is top dog for me. Memories of singing this to my son to get him to go to sleep when he was a baby. Taking real poetry (Patrick Kavanagh) and setting it to music sounds like it should be easy, but I don’t think it is [if it was lyrics wouldn’t be as shite as they generally are]. Luke is immense here, to the extent that no one else can really sing it (and a few serious voices have covered it). I’d have McAlpine’s Fusiliers is my favourite Dubliners track, another Dominic Behan song and one of their best known. For a lesser known masterpiece, though, I love [The louse house of Kilkenny](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAQ2kiT3buk) ---
**Author:** ![Debillw3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Debillw3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debillw3)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/47 "2017-03-19T02:43:26Z")
Sorry I’m late! I’m surprised nobody posted [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1xw-btMj88)–as it’s a Celtic band, I’d argue that it qualifies (and I think the lead singer is Irish, but I could be wrong). ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2017, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/48 "2017-03-19T04:07:54Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [_Shamrock Shore_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMdxG5dka4s). > > I like [Boiled in Lead’s version](https://smile.amazon.com/Old-Lead-Boiled/dp/B000001BCC), but I couldn’t find it to share. It used to get played frequently on KXLU when ‘Old Lead’ was released, so it’s the version I identify with. This version by Mick Maloney and friends is haunting and gorgeous (starts at 1:50): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/i9wzWMh04zc/maxresdefault.jpg "The Kerry Jig/Seamus Cooley's/Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore/Sligo Jack/Redican's") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9wzWMh04zc) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2017, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/49 "2017-03-19T11:57:44Z")
**Ulfreida** , I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen “Kilkelly Ireland” mentioned in conjunction with “happy”. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2017, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/50 "2017-03-19T12:05:24Z")
[“The Night That Paddy Murphy Died”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO7cd8uXVRQ) by Great Big Sea. Such a fun drinking song! ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2017, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/51 "2017-03-19T13:03:00Z")
The Irish Rovers, [The Orange and the Green](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTouKoOV80g) > [@](#): > > Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen > Me father he was Orange, and me mother she was Green. > > One day, me ma’s relations came round to visit me, > Just as me father’s kinfolk were all sitting down to tea. > We tried to smooth things over, but all they began to fight, > And me being strictly neutral, I bashed everyone in sight. > > Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen > Me father he was Orange and me mother she was Green. ---
**Author:** ![Debillw3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Debillw3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debillw3)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/52 "2017-03-19T20:32:50Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > The Irish Rovers, [The Orange and the Green](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTouKoOV80g) I love me some Irish Rovers. Back when I was still on the radio, I had George Millar on my show (via phone) for St. Patrick’s Day & once for Christmas-time (I did the latter on November 1st to confuse as many people as possible). ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/53 "2017-03-20T05:18:00Z")
[_The Mountains of Mourne_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4M_0Bvk10Q), as sung by Don McLean. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/54 "2017-03-20T15:10:33Z")
I’m very fond of [The Parting Glass](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eisW0skJ9fU), performed here in a choral version. I also really like the energy of Gaelic Storm, particularly [Dia Luain de Mairt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cI8JPQGRD0) ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/55 "2017-03-21T15:33:35Z")
> [@Busy\_Scissors](#): > > [Raglan Rd](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuafmLvoJow) by Luke Kelly is top dog for me. Memories of singing this to my son to get him to go to sleep when he was a baby. > Taking real poetry (Patrick Kavanagh) and setting it to music sounds like it should be easy, but I don’t think it is [if it was lyrics wouldn’t be as shite as they generally are]. Luke is immense here, to the extent that no one else can really sing it (and a few serious voices have covered it). Van Morrison and the Chieftains do an admirable job, no? [Raglan Road](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLCYH36ahpE) ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/56 "2017-03-22T02:57:08Z")
> [@Mixolydian](#): > > Van Morrison and the Chieftains do an admirable job, no? [Raglan Road](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLCYH36ahpE) It’s an odd piece; I’ve listened to a half dozen version on YouTube recently. The lyrics, by poet Patrick Kavanaugh, can seem vain-- he writes about sharing the secret “sign” that is known to true artists. Near the end he calls himself an angel, and the woman " clay." Van Morrison can make those lines work because he’s a great, spiritual, cranky nutball. A smooth, conventional singer sounds silly reciting the words. An idiosyncratic female singer can do the song effectively because the song is stripped of the sheen of male sexism. I enjoy [Loreena McKennitt’s gender-switched version](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=K0sFwjkheKw), and Sinead O’Connor’s. Glen Hansard sounds callow and so does Mark Knopfler. The [High Kings](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IkDL_Db8Jdw) escape the profundity issue by emphasizing the song’s hooks. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/57 "2017-03-22T04:16:32Z")
[The Rocky Road to Dublin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxBKgOyMzSc) - The Dubliners ---
**Author:** ![The\_Pork-Chop\_Express](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@The\_Pork-Chop\_Express](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Pork-Chop_Express)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359/58 "2017-03-22T07:39:03Z")
Luke Kelly, A Song for Ireland [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kz_dHcduUTU/hqdefault.jpg "The Dubliners - Song for Ireland") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz_dHcduUTU) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-irish-song/782359.md?page=2)