Just Irish Music

Tarry Trousers: An Irish Folk Ballad of Love, Loyalty, and the Sea Tarry Trousers is a traditional Irish folk song that has traveled through centuries, ports, and hearts. Rooted in oral tradition, it captures a classic theme: a young woman’s love for a sailor, and her rejection of a more materially secure suitor. It is a tale of fidelity — to love, to the sea, and to one’s own heart. This version of Tarry Trousers comes from Sam Henry’s monumental collection , Songs of the People , a treasure trove of Irish folk lyrics gathered in the early 20th century from singers across Northern Ireland. What’s remarkable about this ballad is how many versions exist — Henry himself connects it to over sixteen related songs, including Oh No, John , The Dumb Lady , and The Spanish Merchant’s Daughter . The phrase “tarry trousers” refers to the waterproofed pants worn by sailors, who used tar to protect their garments from saltwater and wear. The term "Jack Tar" became common in the 18t...

The Bantry Girls’ Lament – A Song of Love, War, and Exile In the haunting verses of The Bantry Girls’ Lament , we hear more than just a tragic love story — we hear the echo of Ireland’s torn heart, scattered across foreign fields and tangled in the wars of empires. This traditional Irish ballad centres around Johnny , a young Irishman who leaves the green hills of Bantry to fight in a faraway war — and never returns. The song is sung from the perspective of the women left behind, who mourn his loss with a quiet, enduring sorrow. But behind their lament lies a deeper political and historical truth, one that connects Ireland to the storm of war that swept through Europe in the early 1800s. The War Behind the Song The “wars of Spain” mentioned in the ballad refer to the Peninsular War (1808–1814) — a brutal conflict fought on the Iberian Peninsula between Napoleon’s French army and the allied forces of Spain, Portugal, and Britain . The war erupted after Napoleon invaded Spain and re...

“Youghal Harbour” is more than just another Irish ballad — it’s a haunting story wrapped in melody, passed down through generations like salt on the Atlantic wind. What begins as a simple tale of lost love soon stretches across counties, hearts, and oceans. The result is a song that feels deeply personal, yet universally Irish. At the heart of the ballad is Jamie, a young man once full of hope and love, whose world begins to unravel not through betrayal, but through the slow grind of other people’s decisions. He falls in love with Nancy, a girl from Youghal whose family believes she’s too good for him. Her parents, cold and proud, banish her — not to punish her, but to punish him. They tear the young couple apart before it even begins, sending Jamie walking with nothing but heartbreak and the road ahead. As he wanders through the sweet green valleys of Ireland, Jamie arrives in County Cavan, where fate introduces him to another woman. She’s gentle, fair, and kind — but already tied i...

A Chuisle Mo Croí — An Irish Ballad of Love, Loss, and Eternal Devotion “A Chuisle Mo Croí” — meaning  “ Pulse of My Heart ”  in Irish — is more than a love song. It’s a soul-deep ballad that bridges time, language, and emotion, telling the timeless story of a love so strong it lingers beyond goodbye. Sung in both English and Irish, this haunting melody speaks directly to the heart, offering comfort, connection, and a sense of something eternal. From the opening line,  “Since the day we met, love, you’ve been my guide,”  the listener is drawn into a relationship built on unwavering support through life’s storms. The chorus —  “A Chuisle Mo Croí, the pulse of my heart…”  — acts as a heartbeat itself, anchoring the song in love’s quiet strength. Laced with poetic Irish phrasing like  “Feicim thú i mo bhrionglóidí”  ( “I see you in my dreams” ), this ballad honours the traditions of Irish storytelling while weaving a modern emotional truth. Whether...

The Legend of Tír na nÓg – Oisín and Niamh’s Eternal Love | Irish Mythology Retold Long ago, when the mists of time clung thick over Éire and the line between this world and the next was thin, there lived a warrior-poet named Oisín . Son of Fionn mac Cumhaill , the leader of the Fianna, Oisín was known for his courage, his wisdom, and his unmatched beauty. But it was not battle or glory that would seal his place in legend — it was love. The story begins on a quiet morning in the hills of Kerry. The Fianna were hunting when a vision appeared on the horizon — a woman of such radiance she seemed more spirit than flesh. Riding a white horse across the waves, her golden hair flowing like sunlight over the sea, she was Niamh Chinn Óir , Niamh of the Golden Hair . Her eyes held the depth of oceans, and her smile promised wonder and sorrow in equal measure. She had come from Tír na nÓg , the Land of Eternal Youth — a place where no sorrow could reach, where no one aged, and where love coul...