“Carrickfergus” is a haunting Irish folk ballad whose origins remain somewhat mysterious despite its widespread popularity. The song takes its name from the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and is believed to date back to the 19th century, though some musical historians suggest it may have roots in an older Scottish melody. The earliest recorded version was collected by Peter Colum from the Irish tenor Patrick O’Hagan in the 1960s, bringing it to wider attention. The melancholic lyrics speak of a man’s longing for his hometown of Carrickfergus while finding himself far away, possibly in Scotland, and unable to return. The song beautifully captures themes of exile, lost love, and mortality that resonate deeply in Irish cultural consciousness. “Carrickfergus” gained international recognition through performances by artists like The Dubliners, Van Morrison, and Dominic Behan, who each contributed to its evolving interpretation.
Lyrics
I wish I was in Carrickfergus
Only for nights in Ballygrant
I would swim over the deepest ocean
The deepest ocean, my love to find
But the sea is wide and I cannot swim over
And neither have I wings to fly
If I could find me a handsome boatman
To ferry me over my love and I.
My childhood days bring back sweet reflections
The happy times I spent so long ago
My boyhood friends and kind relations
Have all passed on now like melting snow
I’ll spend my days an endless rover
Soft is the grass and sure, my bed is free
Oh but to be back, in Carrickfergus
To strike that lonely road, down by the sea.
And in Kilkenny it is reported
On marble stone there as black as ink
With gold and silver I would support her
But I’ll sing no more now till I get a drink
For I’m drunk today and I’m seldom sober
A handsome rover from town to town
Ah but I’m sick now my days are numbered
Come all ye young men and lay me down.
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