BALLADS
By Mary Maguire

In times past, ballads were a way of life with our ancestors. It was their form of entertainment in the evenings around the fire. Through their love of poetic language mixed with humor and tragedy, they composed and performed beautiful ballads. This ability has been highly prized in Ireland for centuries.

The ballad is generally sung by a single person, who may or may not be accompanied by instruments. Ballads range from a handful of lines to many hundreds of lines in length. When the melodies launch into their various moods and the story unfolds, the heart strings are tugged. We hear of lost loves, hopes, fears, joys and the sorrows, injustice and revenge, places, people or even what happened when the singer went out for a walk.

They have a universal appeal, due to the emotions within them. Many ballads are well known throughout the world. Take for instance the Londonderry Air or Danny Boy.

They have a universal appeal, due to the emotions within them. Many ballads are well known throughout the world. Take for instance the Londonderry Air or Danny Boy.

‘Danny Boy’ was originally said to be intended as a message from a woman to a man. However, the song is actually sung more by men. This ballad is considered by many Irish Americans and Irish Canadians to be their unofficial signature song.