In the town of Athol one Jeremy Lanigan
Battered away 'til he hadn't a pound
His father died and made him a man again
Left him a farm and ten acres of ground
Myself to be sure got free invitation,
For all the boys and girls I might ask,
And without being asked both friends and relations
Danced like bees 'round the sweet cask

There were lashings of punch and wine for the ladies,
Potatoes and cakes; bacon and tea,
Nolans, Dolans, all the O'Gradys
Courting the girls and dancing away
Songs they went 'round as plenty as water,
"The harp that once sounded in Tara's old hall,"
"Sweet Nelly Gray" and "The Rat Catcher's Daughter,"
Singing together at Lanigan's Ball

They were doing all kinds of nonsensical polkas
All 'round the room in a whirligig
Julia and I, soon banished their nonsense
And tipped them the twist of a reel and a jig
How the girls they all got mad at me
For they thought the ceiling would fall
I spent six months at Brooks' Academy
Learning to dance for Lanigan's Ball

Six long months I spent up in Dublin,
Six long months doing nothing at all,
Six long months I spent up in Dublin,
Learning to dance for Lanigan's Ball
She stepped out and I stepped in again,
I stepped out and she stepped in again,
She stepped out and I stepped in again,
Learning new steps for Lanigan's Ball

The boys were merry, the girls all hearty
Dancing around in couples and groups,
An accident happened, young Terrance McCarthy
He put his foot through miss Finnerty's hoops
The craythur she fainted, and roared, "Bloody Murder,"
Sent for her brothers and gathered them all
Carmody swore he'd go no further
'Til he had revenge at Lanigan's Ball

In the midst of the row miss Kerrigan fainted,
Her cheeks at the time as red as a rose
Some of the lads declared she was painted,
She took a small drop too much, I suppose
Her sweetheart, Ned Morgan, so powerful and able,
When he saw his colleen stretched out by the wall,
Tore the left leg from under the table
And smashed all the Chaneys at Lanigan's Ball

Boys, oh boys, 'twas then there were runctions
I got a kick from big Phelim McHugh
I soon replied to his introduction
And kicked up a terrible hullabaloo
Casey, the piper, was near being strangled
Squeezed up his pipes, chanters and all
The girls and boys they got all entangled
And that put an end to Lanigan's Ball