Lanigan's Ball

In the town of Athy one Jeremy Lanigan

Battered away 'til he hadn't a pound.

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 didn't forget him when come to the wall,

And if you'll but listen I'll make your eyes glisten,

At the rows and the ructions of Lanigan's Ball.

Chorus

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.

Myself to be sure got free invitations,

For all the nice girls and boys I might ask,

And just in a minute both friends and relations,

Were dancing as merry as bees round a cask.

There were lashings of punch and wine for the ladies,

Potcheen and beer and some whisky there too,

There were the Nolan’s, the Dolan’s, and the O'Grady's,

Courting young girls and dancing away.

They were doing all kinds of nonsensical polkas,

All round the room in a whirligig.

Julia and I soon banished their nonsense,

And tipped them the twist of a reel and a jig.

Oh that girl she got all mad at me,

Danced till you'd think the ceiling would fall.

For I spent three weeks at Brooks Academy,

Learning the dance for Lanigan's Ball.

repeat chorus but add also:

She stepped out and I stepped in again,

I stepped out and she stepped in again,

She stepped out and I stepped in again,

Learning new steps for Lanigan's Ball.

Boys were all merry the girls they were hearty,

And danced all around in couples and groups,

Till an accident happened, young Terrance McCarthy,

Put his right leg through miss Finnerty's hoops.

Poor creature fainted and cried, Meelia murther,

Called for her brothers and gathered them all.

Carmody swore that he'd go no further,

Till he had satisfaction at Lanigan's Ball.

In the midst of the row miss Kerrigan fainted,

Her cheeks at the same time as red as the rose.

Some of the lads 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 out by the wall,

Tore the left leg from under a table,

And smashed all the glasses at Lanigan's Ball.

Boy oh boys, twas then there were ructions.

Myself got a kick 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 got all entangled,

And that put an end to Lanigan's Ball.