Lannigan's Ball

In the town of Athy one Jeremy Lannigan
Battered away 'til he hadn't a pound.
His father had died and made him a man again
Left him a farm and ten acres of ground.
He gave a grand ball to his friends and relations
Who hadn't forgot him when sent to the wall,
If you'll only listen I'll make your eyes glisten
At the rows and the ructions of Lannigan'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 'round merry as bees 'round a cask.
This Julie McMannis, that nice little milliner,
Tipped me a wink for to give her a call,
And soon we arrived with Timothy Gallaghan
Just in time for Lannigan's Ball.

There were lashings of punch and wine for the ladies,
Potatoes and cakes; there was bacon and tea,
There were the Nolans, Dolans, the O'Gradys were also there
Courting the girls and dancing away.
The songs they went 'round as plenty as water,
From the harp that once sounded in Tara's old hall,
To Sweet Nelly Gray and The Rat Catcher's Daughter,
All singing together at Lannigan's Ball.

The boys were all merry, the girls were all hearty
They were dancing away in couples and groups,
'Til an accident happened, young Terrance McCarthy
He put his right leg through Miss Flaherty's hoops.
This creature created and roared: Holy murder,
She called for her friends and she gathered them all.
Ned Carmody swore that he'd go no further
'Til he had satisfaction at Lannigan's Ball.

In the midst of the row Miss Kerrigan fainted,
Her cheeks at the same time as red as a rose.
Some of the ladies declared she was painted,
She took a small drop too much, I suppose.
Her sweetheart, Ned Morgan, so powerful able,
When he saw his fair colleen stretched out by the wall,
Tore the left leg from under the table
And smashed all the China at Lanigan's Ball.

Boys, oh boys, 'twas then there were runctions.
Myself got a lick from big Phelim McHugh.
But soon I replied to his kind introduction
And kicked up a terrible hullabaloo.
Old Casey, the piper, was near being strangled.
They squeezed up his pipes, bellows, chanters and all.
The girls, in their ribbons, they all were entangled
And that put an end to Lannigan's Ball.