Mrs. McGrath & Her Son Ted – Traditional Irish Ballad (Napoleonic Era)

Mrs. McGrath & Her Son Ted – A Traditional Irish Ballad of War and Loss

“Mrs. McGrath” is one of the most moving and enduring Irish ballads from the 19th century, often sung with both sorrow and pride. Set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, the song tells the tragic story of a young man named Ted who leaves Ireland to become a soldier and returns without his legs — casualties of a cannonball. His mother, Mrs. McGrath, confronts both him and the cruel absurdity of war with characteristic Irish wit and raw emotion.

The origins of the ballad stretch far into Irish oral tradition. It appeared on Dublin broadsides as early as 1815, and scholars believe it references the Peninsular Campaign (1808–1814), part of the larger Napoleonic conflict. Over time, it became deeply associated with Irish nationalism and was sung widely during the Easter Rising of 1916 and the War of Independence.

Mrs. McGrath is not just a mother grieving her son’s injury; she symbolizes Ireland itself — proud, wounded, defiant. Her words are both scolding and loving, mixing dark humour with horror: “Why didn’t ye run from the big cannonball?” The repeated chorus, “Too-ri-aah, fol de diddle aah,” adds rhythm and tradition to a song that otherwise tells of deep tragedy.

The ballad has been recorded by countless artists over the years, including The Dubliners, Burl Ives, Bruce Springsteen, and now featured here by Just Irish Music, keeping alive the memory of Irish families torn apart by foreign wars and imperial ambitions.

Ted’s return in a scarlet soldier's coat and peg legs is a chilling image. The confrontation between mother, son, and the captain who brought him home represents generations of Irish boys sent off to fight wars that were never theirs.

This recording is part of our continuing effort to preserve and share the old songs of Ireland, honouring both the history and the stories that shaped our people.

May it stir both your heart and your memory.





LYRICS

Oh, Missis McGrath, the sergeant said, Would you like to make a soldier out of your son, Ted? With a scarlet coat, and a three-cocked hat, Now Missis McGrath, wouldn't you like that? Wid yer too-ri-aah, fol de diddle aah Too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aah. Oh Mrs. McGrath lived by the seashore For the space of seven long years or more; Till she saw a big ship sail into the bay, Here's my son, Ted, wisha, clear the way! Wid yer too-ri-aah, fol de diddle aah Too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aah. Oh, Captain, dear, where have ye been Have you been in the Meditereen? Will ye tell me the news of my son, Ted? Is the poor boy livin', or is he dead? Wid yer too-ri-aah, fol de diddle aah Too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aah. Ah, well up comes Ted without any legs An in their place he had two wooden pegs, She kissed him a dozen times or two, Saying, Holy Moses, 'tisn't you. Wid yer too-ri-aah, fol de diddle aah Too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aah. Oh then were ye drunk, or were ye blind That ye left your two fine legs behind? Or was it walkin' upon the sea Wore your two fine legs from the knees away? Wid yer too-ri-aah, fol de diddle aah Too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aah. Oh, I wasn't drunk and I wasn't blind But I left my two fine legs behind. For a cannon ball, on the fifth of May, Took my two fine legs from the knees away. Wid yer too-ri-aah, fol de diddle aah Too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aah. Oh, Teddy, me boy, the old widow cried, Yer two fine legs were yer mammy's pride, Them stumps of a tree wouldn't do at all, Why didn't ye run from the big cannon ball? Wid yer too-ri-aah, fol de diddle aah Too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aah. All foreign wars I do proclaim Between Don John and the King of Spain And by herrins I'll make them rue the time That they swept the legs from a child of mine. Wid yer too-ri-aah, fol de diddle aah Too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aah.
Location: Ireland

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