Irish Song Suggestions Needed

[gspiess]

I'm going to a folk jam this weekend where each player is encouraged to bring along a few songs, either sheet music or chord sheets, for the group. This month is an Irish theme.

The ability of the players is varied from beginner to advanced, with everything from ukes to dulcimers. I've made it a habit of picking 3 and 4 chord classics so everyone is included.

Can anyone recommend some Irish tunes that would be a good fit for this group? thx.

[Al Trujillo]

Here are a couple that I like to play. I don't play with a group but I think in such a setting these could be fun. The Glasgow (aka: Tam Lin) would probably be a good one to help the beginners along:

http://www.mandolintab.net/tabs.php?name=The%20Glasgow&id=02818

http://www.mandolintab.net/tabs.php?name=The%20Monaghan&id=07379

[Matt DeBlass]

For instrumental tunes, "The Road To Lisdoonvarna" is a pretty easy jig, and one of the first ones I learned on both mandolin and guitar. Slower, waltzy tunes like "Sheebeg, Sheemor" or "Planxty Irwin" can be easy for beginners to follow as well.
For songs (ie, "tunes with words") you could do "Star of the County Down," "Hills of Connemara" and "I'll Tell Me Ma" for fun ones that are both easy to play and leave some room for folks to solo if they're up to it.

[allenhopkins]

Jeez, where to start? Main question is if you want songs or tunes. There are a host of Irish and "juke box Irish" songs that are familiar to most folkie types; here are some that I trot out when I do one of the dozen or so gigs I do around St. Pat's:

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
My Wild Irish Rose
Danny Boy
Toora Loora Loora
Molly Malone
Macnamara's Band
The Unicorn

That covers the "Bing Crosby" Irish end. Then there are some good songs that aren't such cliches:
Wild Rover
Black Velvet Band
Rambles Of Spring
Jug of Punch
Red-Haired Mary
Whistling Gypsy Rover
Roddy McCorley
Wild Colonial Boy
Fields of Athenry
Wild Mountain Thyme

Most of these are three or four chords, in fairly accessible keys (C, D, G, A etc.)

As to tunes, if you're dealing with non-expert pickers, waltzes are not a bad idea, since they don't involve such fast changes:
South Wind
Gentle Maiden
Star Of the County Down -- a few more chords, though

Some O'Carolan tunes:

Planxty Fanny Power
Planxty George Brabizon
Sheebeg Sheemore -- spelled phonetically

As to faster tunes -- reels, jigs, hornpipes -- there are some that are fairly straightforward:

Jigs: Off She Goes
Haste To the Wedding
Kesh Jig
Road to Lisdoonvarna -- mentioned above
Irish Washerwoman -- very familiar, not super-easy

Reels: Rose Tree
Mairi's Wedding
Merry Blacksmith
Wind That Shakes the Barley
All the Way to Galway
My Love Is But a Lassie
Rakes of Mallow

Hornpipes: Boys Of Blue Hill
Fisher's
Staten Island
Off to California

Sheet music/chords for all of these are readily available on-line. Good luck with some great music.

[Jon Hall]

A couple of jigs that are fun and not too difficult are: The Kesh Jig (G) and The Swallow Tail Jig (Em).

[Mike Scott]

To my mind John Ryan’s Polka is a) one of the easiest to learn and b) about the only one I can play at tempo. Other fun ones are Off to California and Out on the Ocean. Hope that helps.

[Tom C]

Wiskey in a Jar is fun. I just have no idea what the heck they are singing though.

[Jill McAuley]

There's irish songs (which have words) and irish tunes (which don't). If you're looking for songs one of my favorites is The Auld Triangle -

Here's the Dubliners singing it:

[YOUTUBE]P1vpdsEb_30

And here's Glenn Hansard and Damien Dempsey doing it with guitars and what looks like a mandola?:

luRioh2AYoU

[trodgers]

Here's a few more fairly easy songs that fit the 3-4 chord requirement. A number of them are good sing-alongs.
You should be able to find lyrics and chords online and examples on YouTube...
Dirty Old Town
Finnegan's Wake
The Wild Rover
Molly Malone
Nova Scotia Farewell
Raglan Road

If there are any kids around, The Unicorn Song and Rattlin' Bog are great fun for them!

[gspiess]

You guys are great! Thanks for the help. There are people who just show up to listen, so it's fun when they can sing along. You've given me a good list.

[gspiess]

Had a great jam today packed with players and a surprisingly large audience. The highlight for me was leading "Red Haired Mary" and demanding that anyone without an instrument had to stand and sing the chorus as loud as they could while swinging an imaginary mug of stout. Good times, and thanks for the suggestions!

[yankees1]

Off to California, Woodchoppers Breakdown

[Ranald]

Here's a few more fairly easy songs that fit the 3-4 chord requirement. A number of them are good sing-alongs.
You should be able to find lyrics and chords online and examples on YouTube...
Dirty Old Town
Finnegan's Wake
The Wild Rover
Molly Malone
Nova Scotia Farewell
Raglan Road

If there are any kids around, The Unicorn Song and Rattlin' Bog are great fun for them!

I hate to be a crank, but will be. As a Nova Scotian, I must ask how is "Nova Scotia Farewell," a Canadian rejigging and improving of an old Scottish song, "Farewell to Old Scotia", Irish? "The bonny, bonny lass I do adore" sounds Scottish to me. "Dirty Old Town" is an English song, by the way, referring to the town of Salford. Someone else mentioned "The Unicorn," written by the American songwriter, Shel Silverstein. Sorry to gripe, but I'm weary of the meaninglessness of the terms "Irish" and "Celtic" in reference to music. If Tommy Makem and the Clancy's or some other guy with an Irish accent sings a song from another country, it doesn't make it Irish.:disbelief: Nothing personal, but sometimes I can't be quiet, even though the important issue here is that so many, including you, were willing to help the OP.

Silverstein singing "The Unicorn" in 1962:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XQfGmBnlMU

[allenhopkins]

The Unicorn is (wrongly) considered an Irish song, because the popular version was sung by a group called the Irish Rovers.

Though Irish-born, the members met and formed the band in Canada. I gather "the Canadian Rovers" was not as marketable a name, and there is the Irish comic song The Irish Rover.