List of songs about Dublin

This is a list of songs about Dublin, Ireland, including parts of the city such as individual neighborhoods and sections, and famous personages, arranged chronologically.

18th century

• "The Night Before Larry Was Stretched" - about the night before a hanging, in old Newgate cant; recorded by Frank Harte. Other Dublin execution ballads from this period include "The Kilmainham Minit", "Luke Caffrey's Ghost" and "Larry's Ghost".^[1][2]
• "The Dublin Privateer", late 1700s^[3]
• "The Dublin Baker", late 1700s^[3]
• "The Dublin Tragedy, or, the Unfortunate Merchant's Daughter", late 1700s^[3]
• "Miss King of Dublin", late 1700s^[3]
• "The Country Recruit's Description of the Military", late 1700s^[3]
• "A New Song on the Police Guards", late 1700s^[3]
• "The May Bush", late 1700s^[3]
• "Arbour Hill" - written by Robert Emmet about the burial place of the 1798 insurgents.
• "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)"^[4]

19th century

• "Ye Men of Sweet Liberties Hall" - written by Dubliner Zozimus (Michael Moran, 1794–1846) about the Dublin Liberties.^[5]
• "The Holly and Ivy Girl" - a Christmas song written by John Keegan (1809–1849).^[6]
• "Donnelly and Cooper" - relates a bout between the Dublin boxer and an Englishman, from about 1845^[7]
• "The Twangman" - a comical murder ballad attributed (by Dominic Behan) to Zozimus (Michael Moran).^[5]
• "Molly Malone" - probably the best-known song about Dublin.^[8]
• "Courtin' in the Kitchen" - a music-hall-type song made popular by Delia Murphy.^[9]
• "The Spanish Lady" - a man becomes enamoured of a Spanish lady; versions of this popular song were recorded by Al O'Donnell, the Clancy Brothers and the Dubliners.^[5]
• "The Little Beggarman" - sung to the melody of the "Red-Haired Boy", recorded by The Clancy Brothers.^[10]
• "General Guinness" - a song about the stout from Dublin, recorded by The Boys of the Lough.^[11]
• "Miss Brown of Dublin City" - a murder ballad related to "The Cruel Ship's Carpenter", recorded by Ed McCurdy.^[5][12]
• "'Twas in the end of King James's Street" - a romance ending in tragedy, from the Petrie collection^[13]
• "The Humours of Donnybrook Fair", 1830-1850 - at least three songs were written about Donnybrook Fair.^[3]
• "Hannah Healy, the Pride of Howth", c. 1840 - about a girl from Howth.^[3]
• "The Phenix of Fingal", c. 1840^[3]
• "Catherine Skelly, for the Drowning of her Child", c. 1850^[3]
• "Willy O", c. 1850^[3]
• "The Seducer Outwitted", c. 1850^[3]
• "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.^[14] to an air called "The French Musician"^[15][16]
• "Sally and Johnny", c. 1854^[3]
• "The True-Lovers' Trip to the Strawberry Beds", c. 1854 - about a trip to a favourite courting spot.^[3]
• "The Night of the Ragman's Ball" - collected by Colm O'Lochlainn from a ballad singer in Thomas Street in 1913; melody, called "It was in Dublin city", is in the Petrie collection (1855). Luke Cheevers said it, and a follow-up, "The Ragman's Wake", was written by Tommy Winters, who died in WW1. Recorded by Frank Harte, The Dubliners.^[15]
• "The Rocky Road to Dublin" - a rollicking song written by Galwayman D. K. Gavan for music-hall artist Harry Clifton around 1863.^[17][18]
• "Lannigan's Ball" - written by Galwayman D. K. Gavan for popular music-hall artist Harry Clifton around 1863.^[15][17]
• "Dublin Jack of All Trades" - a broadside ballad from the 1860s recorded by The Johnstons, among others.^[3]
• "Tied my Toes to the Bed", c. 1870^[3]
• "The New Tramway", on the new horse tramway of the Dublin Tramway Company, 1872.^[3]
• "Waxies' Dargle" - about the annual outing to Ringsend by Dublin cobblers (waxies).^[19]

1900 - 1950

• "Girls of Dublin Town (Gals of Dublin Town)" - a shanty based on a real ship, the Shanandoah, captained by "Shotgun" Murphy
• "The Pride of Pimlico" - a song about the Dublin Liberties written by Arthur Griffith.^[2]
• "The Cruise of the Calabar" - a comical song about a canal barge by Arthur Griffith^[5]
• "Twenty Men From Dublin Town" - written by Arthur Griffith, recorded by Danny Doyle
• "Down by the Liffeyside (Fish and Chips)" - written by Peadar Kearney^[5]
• "Dying Rebel" - a song about the aftermath of the 1916 Rising in Dublin
• "The Recruiting Sergeant" - Written by Dublin journalist Seamus O'Farrell (1886–1973) in 1915; recorded by, among others, Dominic Behan and The Black Brothers.
• "Easy and Slow" - a song of somewhat constant innuendo set in Dublin's Liberties^[5]
• "Biddy Mulligan the Pride of the Coombe" - written by Seamas Kavanagh about a Dublin street-seller, made popular by Jimmy O'Dea.
• "Daffodil Mulligan (Fresh Fish)" - written by Harry O'Donovan about Biddy Mulligan's daughter.
• "The Charladies' Ball" - a comical song about Biddy Mulligan at a ball, written by Harry O'Donovan
• "The Vamp of Inchicore" - written by Harry O'Donovan, recorded by Jimmy O'Dea
• "Rathgar" - written by Harry O'Donovan, recorded by Jimmy O'Dea
• "The Dublin Fusiliers" - comical song about the regiment, recorded by Jimmy O'Dea in the 1930s, later by the Dubliners.
• "Hannigan's Hooley" - written by Cecil Sheridan, recorded by Maureen Potter
• "I'm On My Way To Dublin Bay" by Owen J McCormack
• "Kevin Barry" - about young medical student and Irish revolutionary Kevin Barry controversially executed during the Irish War of Independence^[20]
• "The Foggy Dew" - about the Easter Rising of 1916, written by Canon Charles O’Neill in 1919.
• "The Row in the Town" - a song written by Peadar Kearney commemorating the 1916 Rising.
• "Dublin City 1913" - the struggle from 1913 to 1916, written by Donagh MacDonagh^[5]
• "The Banks of the Dargle"

1950 - 2000

• "The Auld Triangle" - by writer Brendan Behan, about his time in Mountjoy Prison
• "The Dublin Saunter (Dublin Can Be Heaven)" - by Leo Maguire, made famous by Noel Purcell
• "The Burning of the Abbey Theatre" - a comical song about the Abbey Theatre by Sylvester Gaffney (Leo Maguire).^[21]
• "Three Lovely Lasses from Kimmage" - a comical song by Sylvester Gaffney (Leo Maguire).^[21]
• "Dublin Me Darlin'" - written by Sylvester Gaffney (Leo Maguire), recorded by Danny Doyle.^[22]
• "Monto (Take Her Up To Monto)" - a song by George Hodnett about the famous red-light district around Montgomery Street in Dublin.^[23]
• "On Raglan Road" - Patrick Kavanagh poem to the 19th-century melody "The Dawning of the Day"^[24]
• "The Ferryman" - about the ferries on the River Liffey, by Pete St. John.^[25]
• "Ringsend Rose" - about a girl from Ringsend, written by Pete St. John.^[25]
• "Dublin Lady" - by singer/songwriter John Conolly.
• "From Dublin With Love" - by Newfoundland singer/songwriter Ron Hynes
• "The Black Dodder" - written and recorded by Dublin singer/songwriter/actor Mick Fitzgerald.
• "Drink" - written and recorded by Dublin singer/songwriter/actor Mick Fitzgerald.
• "Dublin you live in my heart" - by Ian Campbell
• "Dublin Town (Fly Me Home)"
• "Dublin Take Me" - by Rab Noakes
• "The Dublin Rambler" - recorded by the Dublin City Ramblers
• "The Dublin Minstrel Boy (Luke Kelly)" - written and recorded by Paddy Reilly.
• "Summer in Dublin" - written by Liam Reilly and recorded by Bagatelle^[26]
• "Leeson Street Lady" - recorded by Bagatelle.
• "Anne Devlin" - about Robert Emmet's sweetheart, by Pete St John^[25]
• "Mother Redcaps" - song by Pete St John about a cherished music pub in the Dublin Liberties, closed in 2005^[25]
• "Danny Farrell" - a song about a traveller, by Pete St John, recorded by The Dubliners^[25]
• "Rosie Up in Moore Street" - about a Dublin street dealer, by Pete St John^[25]
• "Dicey Riley" - Dublin song about a woman who enjoys her little drop, with verses by Dominic Behan^[27] and Tom Munnelly^[5]
• "The Zoological Gardens" - by Dominic Behan about Dublin Zoo^[5]
• "Come Out Ye Black and Tans" - British Army-taunting song written by Dominic Behan
• "The Mero" - a song about a former cinema in Mary St., Dublin, popular with children, by Pete St. John^[25]
• "Johnie McGory" - a song about children, by Pete St John, recorded by The Dubliners^[25]
• "Ringsend Boatman" - by Pete St John^[25]
• "The Maid From Cabra West" - an Irish version of an English song, sung by Frank Harte^[5]
• "Dublin City in 1962" - written by musician and footballer Dermot O'Brien
• "Dublin in my Tears" - written by Dubliner Brendan Phelan and recorded by the Dublin City Ramblers^[5]
• "Dublin" - written and recorded by Phil Lynott in 1972
• "Inner City Song" - written by harmonica-player Don Baker about 1974 which became a hit for the Jolly Beggarmen (with Baker on harmonica and Johnny Carroll on vocals)
• "Meet Me At The Pillar" - about the 1916 Rising, by Seán and Frank O'Meara; recorded by Jim McCann, the Dublin City Ramblers, and others.
• "My Last Farewell" - by Seán and Frank O'Meara, based on Padraic Pearse's last letter; recorded by the Barleycorn (vocals by Derek McCormack).
• "Dublin in the Rare Old Times" - 1980s song about Dublin before the 1960s (composer: Pete St. John)^[24]
• "Grace" - written in 1985 by Frank and Seán O'Meara about Grace Gifford; recorded by Anthony Kearns, the Wolfe Tones and others.
• "My Dublin Bay" - composed by Waterford-born May O'Higgins.
• "Old Dublin Town" by Pete St. John
• "At the Metropole" - written by Paul Barrett, recorded by Metropolis in 1981.
• "The Rose of Inchicore" - written by Dublin singer/songwriter Mick Fitzgerald about a girl from Inchicore
• "Farewell to Dublin" - written and performed by Brian Warfield
• "Second World Song" - written by David McDonagh, recorded by the Dubliners.
• "D'Ya Remember Jem" - recorded by Ronnie Drew

Since 2000

• "Dublin" - by Prefab Sprout
• "800 Voices" - about the Artane Industrial school, written and recorded by Danny Ellis^[28]
• "The Bold Christian Brothers" - about the Artane Industrial school, written and recorded by Danny Ellis^[28]
• "Dublin Sky" - written and recorded by Darren Hayes
• "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew - by U2, the Dubliners and others; #1 in March 2008^[29]
• "Bully's Acre" - a reference to the Bully's Acre, by Kíla, on their Rogha album (2009).
• "True Blue" - written in 2011 by John Healy, Toddy Griffin and Pat Good, performed by Damien Dempsey and many others for charity.
• "Paint the Town Green"-The Script 2014

See also

• Music of Ireland

References