The Galway Races Lyrics
The DublinersMusic Video
The Galway Races
To me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle day
And as I rode out through Galway Town
To seek for recreation
On the seventeenth of August
Me mind being elevated
There we
re multitudes assembled
With their tickets at the station
And me eyes began to dazzle
And they're going to see the races
To me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle day
There were passengers from Limerick
And passengers from Nenagh
Passengers from Dublin
And sportsmen from Tipperary
There were passengers from Kerry
And all quarters of the nation
And our member Mr Hardy
For to join the Galway Blazers
To me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle day
There were multitudes from Aran
And members from New Quay shore
The boys of Connemara
And the Clare unmarried maidens
People from Cork City
Who were loyal, true and faithful
They brought home the Fenian prisoners
From dying in foreign nations
To me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle day
And it's there you'll see confectioners
With sugarsticks and dainties
The lozenges and oranges
The lemonade and raisins
Gingerbread and spices
To accomodate the ladies
And a big crubeen for threepence
To be suckin' while they're able
To me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle day
And it's there you'll see the gamblers
The thimbles and the garters
And the sporting Wheel of Fortune
With the four and twenty quarters
There was others without scruple
Pelting wattles at poor Maggy
And her daddy well contented
To be gawking at his daughter
To me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle day
And it's there you'll see the pipers
And the fiddlers competing
The nimble-footed dancers
And they trippin' on the daisies
There was others shoutin' cigars and lights
And bills for all the races
With the colours of the jockey
And the price and horses' ages
To me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle day
And it's there you'll see the jockeys
And they mounted on so stately
The pink, the blue, the orange and green
The emblem of our nation
When the bell was rung for starting
All the horses seemed impatient
I thought they never stood on ground
Their speed was so amazing
To me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle day
There was half a million people there
Of all denominations
The Catholic, the Protestant
The Jew and Presbyterian
There was yet no animosity
No matter what persuasion
But fáilte and hospitality
Inducing Mr Paisley
To me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle day and
To me whack fol the do fol the diddlely idle day
Song Details
✍️ Writer: Unknown - Traditional Irish folk song made famous by The Dubliners in 1967.
📝 Song Brief:
The song is about an annual horse racing festival that takes place over seven days at the Ballybrit Racecourse in Galway starting on the last Monday of July. The very first racing festival was a two-day event with the first race meeting on Tuesday, 17 August 1869 which is mentioned in the song and may give some indication as to when it was written.
The author describes the crowds gathering at the train station as people from all over Ireland—of every background and belief—arrive in good spirits for the festival. He then brings the scene to life with the colour, excitement, music, and characters celebrating the Galway Races.
📖 Glossary:- Limerick — A city in southwest Ireland on the River Shannon.
- Nenagh — The county town of North Tipperary in Ireland.
- Dublin — The capital city of Ireland.
- Tipperary — A town and civil parish in County Tipperary, in the province of Munster.
- Kerry — A county in the southwest of Ireland, part of the province of Munster.
- Aran — Three small islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, known for their Iron Age forts, stone walls, and distinctive knitwear traditions.
- New Quay — A small coastal village in the northern part of County Clare.
- Connemara — A district in the west of Ireland known for its rugged landscape, lakes, and traditional Irish culture.
- Clare — A county in the Mid‑West Region of Ireland, known for the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher.
- Cork — A city in the southwest of Ireland, located in the province of Munster.
- Fenian — Historically, a member of an Irish revolutionary organisation founded in the 19th century to fight for an independent Ireland.
- Crubeen — An Irish term for a cooked pig’s trotter.
- Threepence — A former British coin worth three pennies.
- Fáilte — Irish for “welcome.”
🍀 Genre: Irish Folk Song
👥 Covers: The Dubliners (featured), The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, Paddy Reilly, The Pogues, The Chieftans, Jim McCann, Patrick Clifford.
🎻 Featured Artists: The Dubliners - Architects of the Irish Folk Revival
Formed in 1962 in the backroom of O’Donoghue’s Pub on Merrion Row, The Dubliners didn’t just play Irish music—they revolutionized it. Originally known as the Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, the band eventually took their name from James Joyce’s classic book, a fitting tribute to their deep roots in Ireland’s capital city.
With the gravelly, "corncrake" vocals of Ronnie Drew and the soaring, soulful tenor of Luke Kelly, the group brought a raw, urban energy to traditional ballads that had previously been seen as rural or old-fashioned. Backed by the virtuosic banjo playing of Barney McKenna, the fiddle work of John Sheahan, and the versatile harmonies of Ciarán Bourke, they became a global phenomenon.
A Legacy of Defiance and Song
Over a career spanning 50 years, The Dubliners faced bans by national broadcasters, topped international charts with hits like "Seven Drunken Nights," and influenced everyone from The Pogues to U2. Their versions of classics like "The Wild Rover," "Whiskey in the Jar," and "The Galway Races" remain the definitive recordings for folk fans worldwide. Today, though many of the original legends have passed, their music remains the beating heart of Irish folk—a raucous, beautiful, and enduring testament to the spirit of Dublin. 💚
💿 Album: Original Dubliners: 1966-1969
Released: March 22, 1993
Country: UK & Europe
Format: 2 x CD, Compilation, Remastered
Label: EMI
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