The song was created as part of a play called “Landscape with Chimneys” set in MacColl’s hometown of Salford, near Manchester, England. The lyrics paint a gritty portrait of industrial urban life, with references to the gasworks, factories, and canals that characterized northern English industrial cities.

The song gained prominence in the Irish music scene when The Dubliners began performing it in the 1960s, but it was The Pogues’ powerful 1985 recording that truly cemented its place in the Irish repertoire. Lead singer Shane MacGowan’s raw, emotive delivery resonated strongly with Irish audiences and diaspora communities who connected with the song’s themes of working-class life and urban hardship. This cultural adoption illustrates how folk music traditions evolve across borders, with “Dirty Old Town” becoming so thoroughly integrated into Irish musical culture that many are surprised to learn of its English origins.