THE

POPULAR SONGS

OF

IRELAND.

COLLECTED AND EDITED, WITH INTRODUCTIONS

AND NOTES,

BY.

T. CROFTON CROKER, ESQ.

LONDON:

HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER,

GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.

M.DCCC.XXXIX.

༡༠༠.

ΤΟ

THOMAS BAYLIS, ESQ. F.S.A.

AND

W. LECHMERE WHITMORE, ESQ. F.S.A.

OF THE PRIOR'S BANK, FULHAM,

IN MEMORY OF MANY PLEASANT HOURS PASSED WITH THEM

AT THEIR ENCHANTING RESIDENCE,

THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBED,

BY

THE AUTHOR.

PREFACE.

So many collections of what are called Irish popular songs are before the public, under various fanciful names, such as "The Shamrock," ," "The Harp of Erin," " The Hibernian Minstrel," &c., that some apology appears necessary for adding another to the number.

And here it may be proper to reply to a question which has been asked, In what particulars Irish and English song differ? Ritson states, that " The distinction between Scottish and English songs, it is conceived, arises, not from the language in which they are written, for that may be common to both; but, from the country to which they respectively belong, and of which their authors are natives. This discrimination," continues Ritson, "does not so necessarily or properly apply to Ireland, great part of which was colonised from this kingdom; and the descendants of the settlers (the only civilised and cultivated inhabitants)