Fifteen Irish Songs and Ballads Quiz

Answer: 4

"Let grasses grow and waters flow in a free and easy way / But give me enough of the rare old stuff that's made near GALWAY BAY / And policemen all from DONEGAL, SLIGO and LEITRIM, too / We'll give them the slip and we'll take a sip of the rare old Mountain Dew!"
Written by Samuel Lover (1797 - 1869), the song has made its way through numerous recordings. Sometimes the lyrics are changed to "REAL old Mountain Dew", not "RARE".

Answer: loss of innocence/virginity

"Come all ye maidens young and fair / All you that are blooming in your prime / Always beware and keep your garden fair / Let no man steal away your thyme..."
The author of this is unknown.

Answer: Botany Bay

Botany Bay in Sydney, Australia, is referred to in many Irish songs. Captain Arthur Phillip, the founder of the city of Sydney, planned to set up a penal colony in Botany Bay. Upon finding that the soil in the bay was unsuitable for the purpose, he moved the penal colony to Port Jackson instead. Nevertheless, many songs reference Botany Bay when they talk about deportation of prisoners.

Answer: The Dying Rebel

The author of this Easter Rising song is unknown.
The colors of the national flag are green, white and orange, not green, white and gold, as said in the song ("He fought for Ireland, and Ireland only / The harp, the shamrock, green, white and gold"). However, the colors green and gold from the Green Flag (1798) have long been firmly established as national colors when the current national flag came along.

Answer: The Fields of Athenry

"The Fields of Athenry" was written by Pete St. John in 1979 and the most famous version is probably the one recorded by Paddy Reilly.
The story is set during the Great Famine (1845 - 1849). Charles Trevelyan was Permanent Secretary at the Treasury during the famine and was very reluctant to hand out corn from the food depots. The main character in the song, Michael, stole from such a depot and is therefore transported to Botany Bay (see question 3).
"The Fields of Athenry" can also be heard during numerous sports events in Ireland and Great Britain.

Answer: Kilkelly

"Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 60 / My dear and loving son John..." The song lyrics consist of letters from the father to John, the son who has emigrated to the States, telling him about everything that happens back home - sister Brigid getting married, brother Michael returning, the death of the mother, and so on.

The last letter is written by a brother (presumably Michael) that the father has also passed away. But "he was a strong and feisty old man, considering his life was so hard". The song ends with Michael asking John to come for a visit, although the song implies he is not going to come.

Answer: cockles and mussels

... alive, alive, oh.
The song is attributed to James Yorkston. Although some people claim Molly Malone is a historical figure and can sometimes still be heard advertising her cockles and mussels (and her body by night), it seems that she is a mere urban legend.
A statue of Molly Malone stands on College Street, Dublin, near the lower end of Grafton Street.

Answer: Whiskey In The Jar

A slightly different version has "the Cork and Kerry Mountains" instead of "the far famed Kerry Mountains". Also, "musha ring dumma do dumma da" is not included in all versions of the song. They have "With your whack fol the diddle day" instead. Don't ask me what it means... Metallica used the "musha ring" version, although the other is the one you hear more often.
Irish whiskey is spelled with "-ey" in the end whereas the Scottish equivalent is spelled "whisky".

Answer: Four Green Fields

A very simple, lovely tune. The song was written by Tommy Makem. The four green fields symbolize, of course, the four provinces Ulster, Munster, Leinster and Connaught (Connacht). The "strangers" who take one of the four green fields away are the English. The last stanza holds a promise to reunite Ireland - violently, if necessary:

"What have I now, said the fine old woman / What have I now, this proud old woman did say / I have four green fields, one of them's in bondage / In stranger's hands, that tried to take it from me / But my sons had sons, as brave as were their fathers / My fourth green field will bloom once again said she."

Answer: Danny Boy

Funny enough, although "Danny Boy" is considered by most people the very epitome of an Irish ballad, the lyrics were written by an Englishman, Fred F. Weatherly. The tune was originally "Londonderry Air", and only when Weatherly heard the tune and edited his lyrics to match it did "Danny Boy" become as famous as it is today.

Answer: Connemara

The author is unknown, and I don't know when this song first came up. Looks like it's got a really long tradition.

Answer: Eileen

This song was written by John Francis Waller (1809 - 1894).

Answer: W. B. Yeats

The tune of "Sally Gardens" is that of a traditional song called "The Maids of Mourne Shore". Yeats put the words to it in 1889.

Answer: I'll Tell Me Ma

Actually, "Belle of Belfast City" is an alternative title of the song, but most people would refer to it as "I'll Tell Me Ma". Once again, the author is unknown, but the song is a perfect sing-along that everybody knows.

Answer: Mary

"Oh no, 'twas the truth in her eyes ever dawning / That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee".
Written by William Mulchinock in the 19th century, this song was a declaration of love to Mary O'Connor, who was a servant girl for the Mulchinock family. Since Mary was afraid that a marriage would be frowned upon, she declined William's proposal. Shortly afterwards, William got involved in a fight that ended fatally for his opponent and, evading charges, he left Ireland. Upon his return he found out that Mary had died from tuberculosis. William married another woman but wasn't happy. He eventually was buried beside his Rose of Tralee.
"The Rose of Tralee" is also a sort of beauty contest held each year in Tralee.