Top 10 Irish Drinking Songs for a St. Patrick's Day Celebration

As a member of Clan Cian; one of approximately 150 Irish clans registered in Ireland, we proudly celebrate St. Patrick's Day with our family and friends, and many of our non - Irish friends come with us to celebrate St. Patty's Day. Believe me, there's nothing better than a St. Patrick's Day celebration with, good friends, good Guinness and some good old Irish drinking songs to top off the celebration.

You will find in many good Irish drinking songs is love, a man, a woman and the devil; all of which makes for a good party song. Here is a list of some of our favorites.

1. Danny Boy - I don't believe there is ever an Irish party or get - together of any kind, but what Danny Boy is not sung. A woman sings to her true love; its tone is soft and mellow, yet probably the most passionate love song ever written.

2. The Devil and the Old Woman - I love this song; it's hilarious. There is usually no background music except for the Bodhrán; pronounced Bowrain (a large drum-like instrument held in one hand, and the beater in the other.) In this song the Devil goes up to a farmer, telling him that he needs to take one of his family members. The farmer begs him not to take one of his sons because he needs them for getting work done. He tells the Devil to take his wife instead. The Devil does so, and when they get to Hell, the wife beats the dickens out of the demons there, and they beg to Devil to take her back. At the very end of the song - "This proves that women are better than men - They can all go to hell and come back again."

3. Three Score and Ten - this is a song that pays tribute to the three score and ten men and boys who lost their lives while out fishing. A terrible storm came up, and all the fishing vessels were lost, leaving behind sorrowful wives and children.

4. Peg Leg Jack - Poor Peg Leg Jack went out into the night to get some gin, he falls in love with a beautiful maiden, marries her, and finds he wed a soldier boy instead. He runs away; jumps a ship never to be seen again.

5. Johnny Be Fair - A girl sings of her poor Johnny who wants to marry her, but her father says no. Her father has a talk with her, and tells her that she can't marry him, because he is actually her brother. Broken hearted she talks to her mother. Her mother tells her not worry - "your father might have sowed his oats but still you needn't fret. Your father may be father to all the boys in town but still...he's not the one who sired you, so marry who you will."

6. Get Up Jack, John Sit Down - this song is about the life of a sailor while he is in port, and has money to spend. He goes back out to sea, and it all starts over again; dreaming of being in port, with money to spend.

7. General Guinness - this song is about a good old Irishman who finds a corkscrew far more handy than a sword, and his name is General Guinness of the Dublin Booziliers.

8. Courtin in the Kitchen - warning single young men and women not to fall in love, because it's the devil's own invention. The singer tells of what happened to him when he went courting in the kitchen. You'll love all the toora loora la.

9. Kerry Recruit - This song is about a young farmer lad who thinks quite highly of himself. He decided to put down the plough, and enlist in the army. It goes on telling about his life in the army. It ends up, a young man is singing it of his grandfather.

10. To the Beggin I Will Go - A young man sings of his decision to be a begger, and how much easier that his life will be. It is really quite cute.

There are literally hundreds of Irish ballads and songs that are favorites at an Irish St. Patrick's Day celebration. These just happen to be a few of our favorites. Though a few of them tend to be a bit melancholy, there is good reason for that. It always brings a snuggle from that special someone who happens to be there with you.