Irish Song Lyrics:  Sing Along to 10 of Our All-Time Favorite Irish Folk Songs!

One of the most satisfying ways to express your Irish side is to sing along to popular Irish songs.  Here you will find Irish song lyrics to 10 of the most well-known Irish folk songs - along with examples of our favorite performances and fun facts about each song.

Beautiful and talented Irish singers. Picturecredit: Celtic Woman.

Looking for Something in Particular?

You can save time by hopping directly to the song lyrics you are most interested in:

O' Danny Boy

Molly Malone

Whiskey in the Jar

The Unicorn Song

Seven Drunken Nights

Red is the Rose

The Wild Rover

The Sick Note

Finnegans Wake

Fields of Athenry

10 'Must-Know' Irish Song Lyrics

Ready for a personal Irish music lesson?  Below are our top 10 choices for the most 'singable' Irish song lyrics!  Learn them for fun and personal enjoyment.  Or learn them to complete the next step in your IE Passport journey - or both!

O' Danny Boy

Danny Boy is regarded by many people to be an Irish anthem. The story behind the song has been interpreted a variety of ways, with 'Danny' representing a husband, or a son, or a boyfriend going off to war.  But whatever your interpretation, Danny Boy is a 'must know' for expressing your Irish side through song. 

Click the image to find out why!

Molly Malone

No list of Irish song lyrics would be complete without the notorious "Molly Malone." The song tells the story of a young girl name Molly who sells fish in the streets of Dublin but dies of fever at a young age. 

Click the image for more info.

Whiskey in the Jar

While there are different versions depending upon where it is being sung, all of them tell the same basic story: Highwayman is betrayed by his lover while he is sleeping. 

Click on the image to sing along with this iconic Irish pub song.

The Unicorn Song

At first glance it’s a surprising choice for beer lovers considering its childlike lyrics but when you hear it and sing along with it, you will understand why it is so beloved. Want to know why?

Click on the picture to learn the lyrics and sing along!

Seven Drunken Nights

Seven Drunken Nights tells the tale of a man coming home drunk to his wife, and each night she has a new excuse to cover up what can only be her lover. Alas, the drunk man carries on as the excuses get more and more ridiculous.

Learn the lyrics and hear the song by clicking the picture.

Red is the Rose

Red is the Rose tells of a blossoming love story that ends with sadness as the two lovers are separated.  Most believe that the song is about one of the lovers emigrating, a topic that inspires plenty of Irish songs and stories.

To learn the lyrics and hear the song, simply click the image here.

Wild Rover

The Wild Rover is about a man drinking in a pub who, by the last verse, decides to change his ways and leave alcohol behind.  Want to sing along?

Learn the lyrics and hear the music by clicking on the image!

The Sick Note

Finnegan's Wake

The song is about Finnegan who dies but wakes up again at his own wake when a bucket of whiskey is spilled on the floor.  As has been known to happen.  We've all been there, right?

Click the image to learn the words and hear the tune to Finnegan's Wake!

Fields of Athenry

Fields of Athenry is a folk ballad dealing with a love story during a sad part of Irish history. The song is set in the Great Irish Famine of the 19th century. 

Click the image to sing along to this famous Irish tune.

Ready to Earn Your Songs Zone Badge?

You've learned the tunes - now it's time to record your progress in your IE Passport.  Take this fun and informative short quiz, to test your knowledge of Irish Song Lyrics and move one step closer to your IE Passport stamp!

Want More Irish Song Lyrics?

It is probably obvious - at Irish Expressions, we love Irish songs!  The music of the Emerald Isle brings people together, telling stories that touch every human emotion.

Learning the lyrics and singing these songs gives us a deeper sense of connection with Ireland, wherever in the world we happen to be!

Check out our blog for more examples of Irish songs and their lyrics.

To help you build your own personal Irish songbook, we have over the years created many downloadable, share-able Irish games, puzzles, recipes, song lyrics, quizzes, and much, much more.

Want them right now?  Keep reading to learn about "Your Irish Expressions Playbook."

More Fun With Irish Expressions

Congratulations on learning more about the Emerald Isle and discovering what we like to call your "Irish Side."  You may be thinking "I'd love to actually VISIT Ireland but that's really not in the cards right now.  What am I supposed to do with the stuff I just learned?"

Well never fear!  Since 2007 we have collected all of the best printable, shareable resources we could find, to help you put your new knowledge of Ireland to good use.  We've put them all together in a single download we call "Your Irish Expressions Playbook," which contains over 100 pages of games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, travel guides and much, much more.

Purchase them ALL for one small price, print as many copies as you like and share them with your friends - with no limitations!   But order soon - we are already adding to the Playbook for future editions and this price will not last long. 

Oh, want one more reason to order right away?  If you buy YOUR copy of the Playbook now, you will be allowed to upgrade to any new future edition for FREE.

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