Carrickfergus Jim McCann Lyrics

Carrickfergus by Jim McCann:

"Carrickfergus" is an Irish folk song, named after the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

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The origins of the song are unclear.

The song appears on a ballad sheet in Cork City in the mid nineteenth century in macaronic form.

Carrickfergus has been recorded by many well known performers including Ryan Kelly, Celtic Thunder, Paddy Reilly, Declan Affley, Joan Baez, Bryan Ferry, Dominic Behan, Charlotte Church, The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, Brian Dunphy, De Dannan, Subway to Sally, Joe Dassin (as Mon village du bout du monde), The Dubliners, Bryan Ferry, Garnet Rogers, Brian Kennedy, Declan Galbraith, Irish Stew of Sindidun, Lisa Kelly, Cedric Smith, with Loreena McKennitt on harp (as Carrighfergus), Órla Fallon, Van Morrison, Bryn Terfel, Van Morrison and the Chieftains, Ronan Keating, Katherine Jenkins and Allison Moorer. It was also adapted in Scooter's song "Where the Beats...".

The song is a popular request at folk festivals and concerts, and was played at the 1999 funeral of John F. Kennedy, Jr. The song was more recently performed by Loudon Wainwright III over the closing credits of HBO's series Boardwalk Empire.

Closely related is the song The Water is Wide, similar tune and very similar lyrics in some lines. Recordings by loads of people including Dylan (Live), Pete Seeger, The Seekers and two former Byrds, Roger Mcguinn and Chris Hillman, who both did solo versions.