Meanwhile in Ireland

    SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER!

    What's Hot

    Sheamus’s QUEST for Grand Slam GLORY at WrestleMania 39

    March 31, 2023

    Just who is IRISH WWE superstar FINN BÁLOR?

    March 30, 2023

    Top 5 ESSENTIALS you need for moving to IRELAND

    March 29, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Meanwhile in Ireland
    • Home
    • News
    • Craic
    • Sports
    • More
      • Culture
      • Dublin
      • Funny
      • Irish People
      • Interesting News
      • Satire
      • The Drink!
      • Travel
      • TV and Movies
      • Viral
    • Shop
    Facebook YouTube Instagram TikTok
    Meanwhile in Ireland
    You are at:Home » News » Top 10 Irish songs you learned in school
    Culture Music

    Top 10 Irish songs you learned in school

    Mairéad Ní GhráinneBy Mairéad Ní GhráinneMay 10, 2022No Comments5 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Share:
    Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Email

    If you’ve experienced an Irish education, chances are you’ll remember the top ten Irish songs you learned in school!

    Whether you excelled in your Irish homework or hated the difficult grammar, everyone could agree on the songs.

    They were catchy, uplifting, and a joy to sing in the classroom whenever the teacher was in a good mood.

    Even if you haven’t gone through the Irish school system, these songs are not to be missed.

    A fantastic Irish musician by the name of John Spillane has fed our nostalgia with a collection of songs entitled, ‘Irish Songs We Learned at School, Ar Ais Arís!’ (Back again).

    Explore our favourites from this record with a countdown of the top ten Irish songs you learned in school.

    10. Dilín Ó Deamhas – a gem from way back when

    Dillín Ó Deamhas is a traditional Irish nursery rhyme for kids. It involves a lot of nonsense words and sounds that we enjoyed singing during the early stages of primary school.

    The song offers a great way for children to get used to hearing and using Irish language phonics for the first time.

    9. Oíche Chiúin – for a magical Christmas

    You knew it was Christmas when you sang Oíche Chiúin.
    Credit: Pixabay / camknows

    Oíche Chiúin is the Irish language translation of the Christmas carol ‘Silent Night’. It follows the same tune and is equally as haunting and soothing as the English version.

    Children in Irish primary schools continue to bring peace to classrooms every Christmas with this hit.

    Enya, the international star from County Donegal, also recorded a stunning rendition of this song that we implore you to check out!

    8. An Poc ar Buile – plain and simple

    An Poc ar Buile is one of the Irish songs you learned in school.
    Credit: Piqsels.com

    You will remember this one as a delightfully bouncy song about an angry goat and all the mischief he gets up to.

    How could we list the top ten Irish songs you learned in school without it?

    7. Trasna na dTonnta – the actions were our favourite part

    Do you remember waving your arms about to Trasna na dTonnta?
    Credit: commons.wikimedia.org

    This song’s title translates as ‘Across the Waves’. Some of you might remember flailing your arms about while belting out this song at school.

    It describes an Irish immigrant’s experience with returning home to Ireland and how relieved they are to be free from loneliness.

    6. Báidín Fheilimí – extra points if you managed to hit the high notes in this one

    Báidín Fheilimí is one of the Irish songs you learned in school.
    Credit: Pixabay

    This song is slow and endearing, with an almost sombre tone to it. The lyrics describe someone named Feilimí who travelled to Tory in a tiny boat and crashed.

    It is a very popular song for young Irish learners because it uses several adjectives to describe Feilimí’s tiny, lively, straight little boat.

    5. An Spailpín Fánach – one of the catchiest songs to enter the classroom

    From the 17th to the 20th-century in Ireland, a ‘spailpín’ was a young man or boy who would travel from town to town in search of farm work.

    This involved strenuous labour and low pay or pay in the form of some food and lodging.

    The song ‘An Spailpín Fánach’ reveals the hardships of this work, though it is contrasted with a cheerful tune. 

    4. Bean Pháidín – a song that is not as romantic as you once thought

    Bean Pháidín is one of the Irish songs you learned in school.
    Credit: commons.wikimedia.org

    During your school days, the energetic nature of Bean Pháidín may have fooled you into thinking that it was a happy song, but we must bust your bubble on this one.

    The song tells the story of a woman who longs to be Páidín’s wife and for Páidín’s real wife to die.

    There is even an entire verse where the speaker condemns Páidín’s wife to break her legs.

    Yes, just like ‘Rock-a-Bye Baby’ and ‘Jack and Jill’, the Irish language songs for children can be dark as well!

    3. Beidh Aonach Amárach – translates as ‘there will be a fair tomorrow’

    Beidh Aonach Amárach translates as 'there will be a fair tomorrow'.
    Credit: Flickr / Hammersmith & Fulham Council

    Beidh Aonach Amárach is another great tune on our list of the top ten Irish songs you learned in school.

    It is a lively ‘call’ and ‘answer’ between a mother and child. The child pleads with her mother for permission to attend a fair that will take place the next day in County Clare, the subject of the chorus.

    The mother is reluctant to let her daughter attend because she’s not yet ten or 11. The repetition in this one made it easy for us to sing as primary school students!

    2. Peigín Litir Móir – a title that’s impossible to read without singing it

    Peigín Litir Móir is one of the Irish songs you learned in school.
    Credit: Flickr / camknows

    We screamed it at the top of our lungs in primary school, and now, Peigín Litir Móir is every Irish person’s go-to when asked to ‘sing something in Irish’!

    The lyrics of this song address Peigín, a young girl from the village of Lettermore in Connemara, County Galway.

    It has a happy, upbeat melody to accompany the storyteller’s praise for Peigín and how she is adored by many.

    1. Amhrán na bhFiann – the song that every Irish person learned in school

    A list of the top ten Irish songs you learned in school is incomplete without Amhrán na bhFiann.

    This is our national anthem that you will hear in Dublin’s Croke Park before a Gaelic football or hurling match.

    It instils pride in the Irish and a sense of belonging for Ireland’s admirers both near and far.

    Share. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Avatar photo
    Mairéad Ní Ghráinne

    Mairéad Ní Ghráinne is a writer, lover of languages, and native Irish speaker from Connemara, County Galway. Having studied Irish, French, Creative Writing, and Childcare, it comes as no surprise that Mairéad is passionate about all things creative, whether playing the fiddle at a local trad session or painting Irish landscapes inspired by her travels. Although travelling has led her to live in Italy, France, and China, she loves nothing more than coming home to Ireland's west coast with a pen and fresh notebook on hand.

    Related Posts

    Top 5 ESSENTIALS you need for moving to IRELAND

    By Meanwhile in IrelandMarch 29, 2023

    Top 10 Irish TIKTOKERS and INSTAGRAMMERS to follow in 2023

    By Grainne KavanaghMarch 28, 2023

    The 10 CRAZIEST Titanic conspiracy theories, EXPLAINED

    By Katie MorrisMarch 24, 2023

    Top 10 best Irish PODCASTS in 2023, RANKED

    By Grainne KavanaghMarch 22, 2023
    Latest Articles

    Sheamus’s QUEST for Grand Slam GLORY at WrestleMania 39

    March 31, 2023

    Just who is IRISH WWE superstar FINN BÁLOR?

    March 30, 2023

    Top 5 ESSENTIALS you need for moving to IRELAND

    March 29, 2023

    Top 10 Irish celebrity DRINK brands you NEED to try

    March 29, 2023
    Stay In Touch
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • TikTok
    Don't Miss

    Derry Girls accent too difficult to understand for US viewers, survey finds

    By Siân McQuillanJuly 26, 2022

    The Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls has become a global sensation, pulling in viewers from…

    Irish pensioners offer inspiring life advice to their younger selves (VIRAL VIDEO)

    May 4, 2017

    Top 10 best dog-friendly pubs in Ireland, ranked

    March 28, 2022

    Irish BREAKFAST SHOTS and how to make them

    January 26, 2023

    Subscribe to our Newsletter!

    We specialise in Bizarre Irish News, Viral Videos and general Irish Craic.

    • Home
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Guests Posts
    • Team
    • Work for us
    • Terms of use
    • Privacy policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Copyright
    • Shop
    Follow us

    Connect with us on your favourite social media app.

    Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube TikTok
    Contact us

    19 Arthur St, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT1 4GA.

    [email protected]

    Subscribe to our Newsletter!

    ©Copyright 2019 - Meanwhile in Ireland | Trading under Emerald Green Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.