A Few Surprises In The Top 100 Songs

A lot of the regulars to the site will have noticed that I recently compiled a list of the top 100 Irish songs of all time. The top 30 songs in the list contained very few surprises except for Sweet Carnlough Bay, hot that song slipped in there I'll never know. In the second part of the list from 31 to 68 there were some here I thought would actually be higher up the list. Songs like ''A Song For Ireland'' at No. 48. I would have thought it was top 20 material at least. In general it's a very good list of songs. Don't forget that this list is not the top 100 Irish songs that are liked by people living in Ireland but rather a list of Irish folk songs that are the most popular all over the world. A pleasant surprise for me anyway was the amount of rebel songs in the list. I was happy to see that these songs are being kept alive around the world. I know that if you asked one hundred people to name their favourite 100 songs you would get 100 different lists. Everybody's different a some songs mean more to some people than others, it may remind them of a place in time that they were happy or sad or for 100 other reasons as to why you fall in love with a nice piece of writing.
Off the top of my head, here's a few of my favourites in no particular order.

Joe McDonnell
Grace Jim McCann Version
Michael -Johnny McEvoy
Michael Collins - Wolfe Tones
The Parting Glass-Pogues Version
A Song For The Fox-The Furies
Long Before Your Time J.McEvoy
Let The People Sing
Thousands Are Sailing - Pogues
The Ferryman - Dublin City Ramblers
Bold Robert Emmet, Dublin City Ramblers Version
Boolavogue - Brian Roebuck Version
Slievenamon- Old Wolfe Tone Version
Where My Eileen Is Waiting-Johnny McEvoy Version
Come Out Ye Black And Tans-Wolfe Tones
The Rare Auld Times-Ronnie Drew Version
For Ireland I'd Not Tell Her Name. The Tones
Freemantle Bay By Justice
Kevin Barry - Wolfe Tones Version
Gallipili By The Fureys
Uncil Nobby's Steamboat-Wolfe Tones
Sean South
Boolavogue, Brian Roebuck Version
Shanagolden By Paddy Day
Red Is The Rose, Every Version
The Galway Races-Pogues Version, This is part of a medley
A Pair Of Brown Eyes - Pogues
The Old Bog Road J.McEvoy version
The Old Man - The Fureys Bros. And Davie Arthur Version.
Irish Soldier Laddie By Barleycorn
The Cocky Farmer-Ronnie Drew
Fergal O'Hanlon-Declan Hunt
The Bold Fenian Men By Dublin City Ramblers
The Foggy Dew
Avondale By Mary Black
Come By The Hills
Bring Them Home-Dublin City Ramblers
Night Visiting Song by Luke Kelly
Merry Ploughboy - Ronnie Drew Version

If you have't already seen the top 100 Irish folk songs of all time, head over to Martin Dardis site and go to most popular. See the link in on the right nav.