Best Irish Pub Songs

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner it seemed like a perfect opportunity to take a look at the best / most fun Irish pub songs. Note: these songs aren’t all necessarily Irish, but they are all songs you can sway back and forth to while holding a pint of Guinness and encourage audience participation… either by singing out the words or shouting appropriate responses (right up yer kilt!; and she was!; hey wife!). Perhaps Celtic / East Coast would have been a more accurate description, but “Irish pub” provides a nicer all encompassing blanket. I've cited my preferred version when appropriate, but the best way to enjoy these songs is live down at the pub.

Top 10
10. Seven Drunken Nights - the Dubliners
9. Dirty Old Town - the Pogues
8. The Irish Rover - Dubliners & Pogues
7. Raggle Taggle Gypsy - the Mahones
6. Mari-mac - Great Big Sea
5. Whisky in the Jar - the Dubliners (go for the Metallica version if you really want to rock out)
4. Fisherman's Blues - the Waterboys
3. Barrett's Privateers - Stan Rogers
2. Fairytale of New York - the Pogues
1. Wild Rover - the Dubliners

Honourable Mention:
Black Velvet Band
Drunken Sailor
Farewell to Nova Scotia
The Mary Ellen Carter - Stan Rogers
Molly Malone
Twelve Pints of Guinness - Pagan Mary
If I Should Fall From Grace With God - the Pogues
Yeah, Yeah,Yeah, Yeah,Yeah - the Pogues
Devil's in the Kitchen - Ashley McIsaac
Sleepy Maggie - Ashley McIsaac
Rose & Crown - the Mahones
Cinammon Girl (live) - the Mahones

Put any and all of these into the music rotation and you have yourself a party.