Lannigan's Ball - Waxies Dargle

The town of Athy, one Jeremy Lannigan

Battered away 'til he hadn’t a shilling

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 would not forget him when come to the will

If you’d only listen, I’d make your eyes glisten

The rows and ructions at Lannigan’s ball

Myself, to be sure, got invitations

For all the nice boys and girls that I’d ask

In less than a minute the friends and relations

Were dancing as merry as bees 'round a cask

Were lashings of punch and wine for the ladies

Potatoes, cakes, there was bacon and tea

Well, there were the Nolans, the Dolans, O’Gradys

Courting the girls and dancing away

They were doing all kinds of nonsensical polkas

'Round the room in a whirly gig

When Julie and I soon banished their nonsense

And tipped them a twist of a real Irish jig

That girl, she really got mad and me

Danced 'til you’d think all the ceilings would fall

For I spent three weeks at Brooks Academy

Learning to dance for Lannigan’s ball

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 Lannigan’s ball

And I stepped out, and I stepped in again

I stepped out, and I stepped in again

Well, I stepped out, and I stepped in again

Learning to dance for Lannigan’s ball

The boys, all merry, the girls, all hearty

Dancing around in couples and groups

An accident happened, young Terence McCarthy

He put his right leg through Miss Flaherty’s hoops

The creature, she fainted and cried «Meelia Murther»

And called for her brothers and gathered them all

When Carmody swore that he’d go no further

'Til he’d satisfaction at Lannigan’s ball

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 Lannigan’s ball

And I stepped out, and I stepped in again

I stepped out, and I stepped out again

I stepped out, and I stepped in again

Learning to dance for Lannigan’s ball

Boys, oh boys, 'tis there was ructions

Myself got a kick from young Phelim McHugh

And I soon replied to his kind introduction

And kicked up a terrible hullabaloo

Casey the piper was near to being strangled

They squeezed up his pipes, bellows, chanters and all

And the girls, in their ribbons, they all got entangled

And that put an end to Lannigan’s ball

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 Lannigan’s ball

And I stepped out, and I stepped in again

And I stepped out, and I stepped in again

I stepped out, and I stepped in again

We’re learning to dance for Lannigan’s ball