> Folk Music > Songs > The Town of Ballybay

The Town of Ballybay

[ Roud - ; DT BALLYBAY ; Mudcat 18435 ; Tommy Makem]

Tommy Makem and Lian Clancy sang Tommy Makem’s song In the Town of Ballybay live at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin in July 1977. The concert’s recording by Radio Edinburgh Studios was released in the same year on their Blackbird album The Makem & Clancy Concert.

Philadelphia group Broadside Electric sang The Town of Ballybay on their 1994 album Amplificata. They noted:

A song of loose living that we first heard from the band Boiled in Lead.

Hamburg group Boreen Electric sang In the Town of Ballabay on their 1997 album Enchanted Ways. They noted:

The story of an early feminist from the town of Ballybay. We have interspersed it with the first part of Miss McLeod’s reel.

Molly Donnery and The Ciderhouse Rebellion sang The Town of Ballybay in 2024 on their Under the Ears album A Little Bit Slanted. Molly noted:

Always a hit! I really enjoy singing this and love the refrain which adds a collaborative aspect to the song. Laughs all round and honestly the perfect way to finish this album!

Lyrics

Tommy Makem and Lian Clancy sing In the Town of Ballybay

In the town of Ballybay, there was a lassie dwellin’
I knew her very well, and her story’s worth-a-tellin’.
Her father kept a still, and he was a good distiller,
But when she took to the drinkin’ what the devil wouldn’t fill ’er.

Chorus (after each verse):
Wish me ring-a-ding-a-dong, a-ring-a-ding-a-derrio,
A-ring-a-ding-a-dong, whack fol’ the derrio.

And she said she couldn’t dance, unless she had her welly on,
But when she had it on, she could dance as well as anyone.
She wouldn’t go to bed, unless she had her shimmy on,
But when she had it on, she would go to bed with anyone.

Well she had a wooden leg, it was hollow down the middle,
And she used to tie a string on it and play it like a fiddle.
She fiddled in the hall, she fiddled in the alleyway,
She didn’t give a damn, she had to fiddle anyway.

She had lovers by the score, every Tom and Dick and Harry,
She was courted night and day, but still she wouldn’t marry.
And then she fell in love with a fella with a stammer,
When he tried to run away, she hit him with a hammer.

They had children by the score, they had children by the byer,
And another ten or twelve sittin’ growin’ by the fire.
She fed ’em on potatas and on soup she made from nettles,
And on lumps of hairy bacon that she boiled up in the kettle.

So she led a sheltered life, eatin’ porridge and black puddin’
And she terrorized her man, until he died right sudden.
And when her fella died, she was feelin’ kinda sorry,
So she rolled him in a sheet, and she threw him in the quarry.

Broadside Electric sing The Town of Ballybay

Chorus (after each verse, twice at the end):
To me ringle dingle dum, to me ringle dingle laddie-o
To me ringle dingle dum, to me whack for de laddie-o

In the town of Ballybay there was a lassie dwelling
I knew her very well and her story’s worth the telling
Her father kept a still, he was a great distiller
And when she took to drinking, why the Devil couldn’t fill her

She had a wooden leg, ’twas hollow up the middle
She used to put a string in and play it like a fiddle
She played it day and night, played it night and day O
And when the neighbors told her "stop" she played her fiddle anyway

Now, she said she couldn’t dance unless she had her wellies on
But when she had them on she could dance as well as anyone
She wouldn’t go to bed unless she had her shimmy on
But when she had it on, God, she’d go to bed with anyone

She’d children up the stairs, and children in the byre
Another ten or twelve sitting roaring by the fire
She fed them on potatoes, and soup she made from nettles
and lumps of hairy bacon that she boiled up in the kettles

She’s had lovers by the score, every Tom and Dick and Harry
She’s courted day and night and still she wouldn’t marry
And then she fell in love with a fellow with a stammer
And when he tried to run away she hit him with a hammer

Now she’s led the sheltered life, eating porridge and black pudding
She terrorized her husband ’til he died right sudden
And when her husband died she felt so awful sorry
She stuffed him in a canvas bag and tossed him in the quarry

Boreen sing In the Town of Ballabay

In the town of Ballybay there was a lassie dwelling
I knew her very well and her story’s worth a-telling
Her father kept a still and he was a good distiller
But when she took to the drink but the Divil wouldn’t fill her

Chorus (after each verse):
With me ring a ding a dong, a ring a ding a daddy o
A ring a ding a dong, whack for the daddy o

O she had a wooden leg that was hollow down the middle
She used to tie a string in it and play it like a fiddle
She fiddled in the hall she fiddled in the alley-way
She didn’t give a damn she had to fiddle anyway

O she said she couldn’t dance unless she had her wellies on
But when she had them on she could dance as well as anyone
She wouldn’t go to bed unless she had her shimmy on
And when she had it on she could go as quick as anyone

She had lovers by the score, every Tom and Dick and Harry
She was courtin’ night and day But still she wouldn’t marry
And then she fell in love with the fella with the stammer
When he tried to run away she hit him with a hammer

She had children up the stairs, she had children in the byre
And another ten or twelve sitting roaring by the fire
She fed them on potatoes and on soup she made with nettles
And of lumps of hairy bacon that she boiled up in the kettle

O she led a sheltered life eating porridge and black pudding
And she terrorised her man until he died right sudden -
And when the husband died she was feeling very sorry
So she rolled him in a bag and she threw him in the quarry