The haunting ballad 'Danny Boy' is played in pubs, at parties and funerals all over the world, yet where its origins lie remains a mystery. Anyone with even the most tenuous Irish roots embraces the song as their own - ironic, considering that the words are not even Irish! They were written by an English barrister who never set foot in Ireland. But who is bidding Danny goodbye, and why?
Travel with bestselling Irish-American author Malachy McCourt as he explores the tune's beginnings and its political significance. This is a fascinating cultural history of a tune that has been sung by a variety of popular performers from Elvis Presley to the Pogues. The book is part history, part folklore - not to be taken too seriously, but to be enjoyed.
