Lannigan’s Ball

In the town of Athy one Jeremy Lannigan
Battered away ’till he hadn’t a pound
His father died and made him a man again
Left him a farm and ten acres of ground
He gave a grand party for friends and relations
Who hadn’t forgot him when sent to the wall
If you just 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 boys and girls I’d ask;
In less than a minute, the friends and relations
Were dancing as merry as bees round a cask
MIss O'Hara the nice little milliner,
Tipp'd me the wink to give her a call,
And soon we arrived with Timothy Gleigan
Just in time for Lannigan's Ball.

There was lashings of punch, and wine for the ladies
Potatoes and cakes and bacon and tea
There were Nolans and Doolans and all the O’Gradys
Courtin’ the girls and dancin’ away.
Songs they were as plenty as water,
From the "Harp that once thro' Tara's ould Hall,"
To sweet "Nelly Gray" and "The Ratcatcher's Daughter"
All singing together at Lannigan's Ball

They were doing all sorts of nonsensical polkas
All round the room in a neat whirligig
But Julia and I soon banished their nonsense
And tipp'd them the twist of a real Irish jig.
Och mavrone! ‘twas she that was glad o’ me,
And danced ’till you'd think the ceilin’ would fall
For I spent three weeks at Burke’s Acadamy
Learning to dance for Lannigan’s Ball

The boys were all merry, the girls were all hearty
Dancin’ away in couples and groups
Till an accident happened, young Terence Macarthy
He put right leg on Miss Flaherty's hoops.
The creature, she fainted and roared “Millia Murther”
Called for her friends and gathered them all,
Ned Carmody swore he’d go no further
But have satisfaction at Lannigan’s Ball

In the midst of the row, Miss Kerraigan fainted
Her cheeks all the while being red as the rose
Some of the ladies declared she was painted
She took a small drop too much I suppose
Her sweetheart, Ned Morgan, so powerful and able
When he saw his fair colleen stretched by the wall
He tore the left leg from under the table
And smashed all the chaney at Lannigan’s Ball

Oh boys, there was the ruction
Myself got a lick from big Phelim McHugh
But I soon replied to this kind introduction
And kick'd up a terrible Phillabaloo
Ould Casey, the piper, was near being strangled,
They squeez'd up his pipes, bellows, chanters and all
The girls in their ribbons, they got all entangled
And that put an end to Lannigan’s Ball