In the town of Athy, one Jeremy Lanigan Battered away till he hadn't a shillin' His father died and made him a man again Left him a farm and ten acres of ground And myself, to be sure, got free invitations For the boys and girls I might ask Without being asked, the friends and relations Danced like bees around a sweet cask There was lashin's of punch, and wine for the ladies Potatoes and cakes, and bacon and tay The Nolans, Dolans, all the O'Gradys Courtin' the girls and dancing away Songs went round as plenty as water The harp that once sounded through Tara's old hall Sweet Nellie Grey and The Rat Catcher's Daughter Singin' together at Lanigan's ball They were doin' all kinds of nonsensical polkas All round the room in a whirla-ga-gig Julie and I soon banished their nonsense Out on the floor for a reel and a jig How the girls they all got mad at me For they thought the ceilin' would fall I spent six months in Brook's Academy Learnin' to dance for Lanigan's ball Six long months I spent in Dublin Six long months doin' nothing at all Six long months I spent in Dublin Learnin' to dance for Lanigan's ball She stepped out, I stepped in again I stepped out, she stepped in again She stepped out, I stepped in again Learnin' to dance for Lanigan's ball The boys were merry, the girls all hearty Dancing around in couples and groups An accident happened - Terence McCarthy He put his boot through Miss Finnerty's hoops Went out in a faint, she cried holy murder Sent for her brothers and gathered them all Carmody swore he'd go no further Till he got revenge at Lanigan's ball Boys, oh boys, 'tis then there was runctions I got a kick from Phelim McHugh I soon replied to his inter-dunction Kicked up a terrible hullabaloo Casey the piper was near bein' strangled They leapt on his pipes, bellows, chanters and all Girls and boys all got entangled And that put an end to Lanigan's ball Six long months I spent in Dublin Six long months doin' nothing at all Six long months I spent in Dublin Learnin' to dance for Lanigan's ball She stepped out, I stepped in again I stepped out, she stepped in again She stepped out, I stepped in again Learnin' to dance for Lanigan's ball