Lanigans Ball - Christy Moore

In the town of Athy, one Jeremy Lanigan battered away till he hadn’t a shilling

His father died, made him a man again, left him a farm and ten acres of ground

Myself, to be sure, got invitations for the boys and girls I might ask

Having been asked, friends and relations danced like bees around a sweet cask

There was lashings of drink wine for the ladies, potatoes and cake bacon and tea

Nolans and Dolans and all the O’Gradys, courting the girls and dancing away

While songs went round as plenty as water

The harps that are sounded through Tara’s old hall

Biddie Grey and the rat catcher’s daughter singing away at Lanigan’s ball

Six long months I spent in Dublin, six long months doing nothing at all

Six long months I spent in Dublin, learning to dance for Lanigan’s ball

She stepped out, I stepped in again.

I stepped out and she stepped in again

She stepped out, I stepped in again, learning to dance for Lanigan’s ball

They were doing all kinds of nonsensical dances all around in a whirligig

Julie and I soon banished their nonsense

Out on the floor for a reel and a jig

How the girls all got mad at me for they thought the ceilings would fall

I spent six months in Brook’s Academy learning to dance for Lanigan’s ball

Well the boys were merry and the girls all hearty

Dancing around in their couples and groups

An accident happened;

Terence McCarthy

He put his boot through Miss Finnerty’s hoops

She fell down in a faint and cried, 'Holy murder!'

Called her brothers and gathered them all

Carmody swore he’d go no further till he got revenge at Lanigan’s ball

Boys oh boys 'tis then there was ructions.

I got a belt from Phelim Mc Hugh

I replied to his introduction, kicked up a terrible hullabaloo

Moloney the piper was near gettin' smothered

They leapt on his pipes, bellows, chanter and all

Boys and girls all got entangled and that put an end to Lanigan’s ball