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.

• "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]
• "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]

• "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]
• "The Finding of Moses" - a comical ballad attributed 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 Return of Pat Malloy"^[10]
• "The Little Beggarman" - sung to the melody of the "Red-Haired Boy", recorded by The Clancy Brothers.^[11]
• "General Guinness" - a song about the stout from Dublin, recorded by The Boys of the Lough.^[12]
• "Miss Brown of Dublin City" - a murder ballad related to "The Cruel Ship's Carpenter", recorded by Ed McCurdy.^[5][13]
• "'Twas in the end of King James's Street" - a romance ending in tragedy, from the Petrie collection^[14]
• "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.^[15] to an air called "The French Musician"^[16][17]
• "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.^[16]
• "The Rocky Road to Dublin" - a rollicking song written by Galwayman D. K. Gavan for music-hall artist Harry Clifton around 1863.^[18][19]
• "Lannigan's Ball" - written by Galwayman D. K. Gavan for popular music-hall artist Harry Clifton around 1863.^[16][18]
• "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).^[20]

• "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
• "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.
• "Kevin Barry" - about young medical student and Irish revolutionary Kevin Barry controversially executed during the Irish War of Independence^[21]
• "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.^[5]
• "Dublin City 1913" - the struggle from 1913 to 1916, written by Donagh MacDonagh^[5]
• "Arbour Hill" - written by Declan Hunt about the burial place of the Easter 1916 Leaders.^[22]

• "The Auld Triangle" - by writer Brendan Behan, about his time in Mountjoy Prison
• "The Burning of the Abbey Theatre" - a comical song about the Abbey Theatre by Sylvester Gaffney (Leo Maguire).^[23]
• "Three Lovely Lasses from Kimmage" - a comical song by Sylvester Gaffney (Leo Maguire).^[23]
• "Dublin Me Darlin'" - written by Sylvester Gaffney (Leo Maguire), recorded by Danny Doyle.^[24]
• "Monto (Take Her Up To Monto)" - a song by George Hodnett about the famous red-light district around Montgomery Street in Dublin.^[25]
• "On Raglan Road" - Patrick Kavanagh poem to the 19th-century melody "The Dawning of the Day"^[26]
• "The Ferryman" - about the ferries on the River Liffey, by Pete St. John.^[27]
• "Ringsend Rose" - about a girl from Ringsend, written by Pete St. John.^[27]
• "Summer in Dublin" - written by Liam Reilly and recorded by Bagatelle^[28]
• "Anne Devlin" - about Robert Emmet's sweetheart, by Pete St John^[27]
• "Mother Redcaps" - song by Pete St John about a cherished music pub in the Dublin Liberties, closed in 2005^[27]
• "Danny Farrell" - a song about a traveller, by Pete St John, recorded by The Dubliners^[27]
• "Rosie Up in Moore Street" - about a Dublin street dealer, by Pete St John^[27]
• "Dicey Riley" - Dublin song about a woman who enjoys her little drop, with verses by Dominic Behan^[29] 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^[27]
• "Johnie McGory" - a song about children, by Pete St John, recorded by The Dubliners^[27]
• "Ringsend Boatman" - by Pete St John^[27]
• "The Maid From Cabra West" - an Irish version of an English song, sung by Frank Harte^[5]
• "Dublin in my Tears" - written by Dubliner Brendan Phelan and recorded by the Dublin City Ramblers.^[5]
• "Dublin in the Rare Old Times" - 1980s song about Dublin before the 1960s (composer: Pete St. John)^[26]
• "Grace" - written in 1985 by Frank and Seán O'Meara about Grace Gifford; recorded by Jim McCann, Anthony Kearns, the Wolfe Tones and others.
• "Christchurch Bells" - a song about a summer night in Dublin, sung by The Hothouse Flowers^[5]

• "800 Voices" - about the Artane Industrial school, written and recorded by Danny Ellis^[30]
• "The Bold Christian Brothers" - about the Artane Industrial school, written and recorded by Danny Ellis^[30]
• "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew - by U2, the Dubliners and others; #1 in March 2008^[31]

• Music of Ireland