Lanigan's Ball

In the town of Athy one Jeremy Lanigan

Battered away till he hadn´t a pound

And his father he died and made him a man again,

Left him a farm and ten acres of ground

He gave a grand party to friends and relations

Who did not forget him when come to the wall

If you´d only listen, I´ll make your eyes glisten

At the rows and ructions of Lanigan´s ball

Myself to be sure got free invitations

For all the nice girls and boys I might ask

In less than a minute both friends and relations

Were dancing as merry as bees round a cask

Lashing of punch and wine for the ladies

Potatoes, cakes, there was bacon and tea

There were the Nolans, Dolans, O´Grady´s

Courting the girls and dancing away

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

They were doing all kinds of nonsensical polkas

Round the room in a whirly gig

But Julia and I soon banished their nonsense

And tipped them a twist of a real Irish jig

Oh how the girl she really got mad and me

Danced that you´d think that the ceiling would fall

For I spent three weeks at Brooks Academy

Learning to dance for 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

And I stepped out - and I stepped in again

Learning to dance for Lanigan´s ball

The boys were as merry, the girls all hearty

Dancing around in couples and groups

Till an accident happened, young Terence McCarthy

He put his right leg through Miss Finerty´s hoops

The creature she fainted and cried "Meelia Murther"

And called for her brothers and gathered them all

Carmody swore that he´d go no further,

Till he had satisfaction 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

Boys, oh boys, ´tis there was ructions

Myself got a kick from big Phelim McHugh

And I soon replied to his kind introduction

And kicked him a terrible hullabaloo

Casey the piper was nearly being strangled

They squeezed up his pipes, bellows, chanters and all

And the girls in their ribbons they all got entangled

And that put an end to 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

And I stepped out - and I stepped in again

Learning to dance for Lanigan´s ball