The Parting Glass | Ireland’s Favourite Folk Song

The Parting Glass is one of the most beloved farewell songs in Irish tradition — a gentle, bittersweet song that has been sung in homes, pubs, and at gravesides across Ireland for centuries. Older than Auld Lang Syne, it remains the song that Irish people reach for when it is time to say goodbye. Below you will find the full lyrics, the fascinating history behind the song, and where you can still hear it sung in Ireland today.

The Parting Glass — Full Lyrics

Oh, all the money that e’er I had
I spent it in good company
And all the harm that e’er I’ve done
Alas, it was to none but me
And all I’ve done for want of wit
To memory now I can’t recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be to you all

Oh, all the comrades that e’er I had
They’re sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e’er I had
They’d wish me one more day to stay
But since it falls unto my lot
That I should rise and you should not
I’ll gently rise and softly call
Good night and joy be to you all

A man may drink and not be drunk
A man may fight and not be slain
A man may court a pretty girl
And perhaps be welcomed back again
But since it has so ought to be
By a time to rise and a time to fall
Come fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be to you all
Good night and joy be to you all

The History and Meaning of The Parting Glass

If you have ever been in an Irish pub at closing time, or stood at a graveside in the west of Ireland, or watched the final moments of a concert in Dublin, chances are you have heard The Parting Glass. It is one of those songs that seems to have always existed — and in a sense, it has. The song is at least four hundred years old, and its roots run deep through the tangled musical traditions of Ireland, Scotland, and England.

The earliest known version appears in a Scottish broadside ballad from the early 1600s, though scholars believe the melody and sentiment are older still. For well over a century before Robert Burns penned Auld Lang Syne in 1788, The Parting Glass was the farewell song of the English-speaking world. It was the song you sang at the end of a gathering, the song that marked the moment when the night was over and it was time to go home. Burns’ song eventually overtook it as the anthem of New Year’s Eve, but The Parting Glass never disappeared. It simply retreated to where it was loved most — Ireland.

And what is it actually about? On the surface, it is beautifully simple. Someone is leaving. It might be a man heading home after a long night in the pub. It might be an emigrant boarding a ship. It might be someone facing death. The beauty of the song is that it works for all of these — and the singer knows it. He looks back on his life and finds it good: money spent in fine company, harm done to no one but himself, comrades who are sorry to see him go, sweethearts who would wish him one more day. There is no bitterness, no regret. Just a gentle accounting of a life well-lived, and a final request: fill to me the parting glass. One last drink before I go. Good night and joy be to you all.

The “parting glass” itself is a tradition that still lives in Irish pubs today. It is the final drink — the one you share before you part ways. There is something profoundly Irish about it: the idea that even goodbye deserves to be marked with warmth, with company, with a raised glass.

During the Great Famine of the 1840s and the devastating waves of emigration that followed, The Parting Glass took on a meaning that its anonymous author could never have imagined. For millions of Irish men and women leaving for America, Australia, Canada, and beyond, this was often the last song they heard on Irish soil. Entire communities would gather at the harbour or the crossroads to see their people off, and The Parting Glass became the soundtrack of that heartbreak. “But since it falls unto my lot / That I should rise and you should not” — those lines, which might once have been about leaving a party, now spoke of leaving a homeland forever. The song became a vessel for the grief of the Irish diaspora, and it has carried that weight ever since.

In the 1960s, the great Irish folk revival brought The Parting Glass back to the wider world. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem performed it with a power and sincerity that made it a staple of the folk scene on both sides of the Atlantic. The Dubliners gave it their own rough-edged tenderness. In more recent years, The High Kings have performed what is perhaps the most widely shared version online — a stunning, harmony-rich rendition that has introduced the song to millions. Ed Sheeran recorded it, bringing it to a generation who might never have heard it otherwise. The Pogues, Sinéad O’Connor, and countless other artists have all put their mark on it.

The song has seeped into popular culture too. Gamers will recognise it from Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, where it plays during one of the most emotional scenes in the franchise. It featured in The Walking Dead, lending its ancient grief to a very modern apocalypse. The film Waking Ned Devine used it to capture the spirit of rural Irish life. It turns up in television, in theatre, in wedding speeches and funeral programmes — a four-hundred-year-old song that somehow never stops being relevant.

Perhaps that is because The Parting Glass does something rare: it makes saying goodbye feel like an act of grace. There is no clinging, no pleading. Just gratitude, a raised glass, and a gentle wish — good night and joy be to you all. In Ireland, it is still the last song of the night. The one that says: this was good, and I am grateful, and now it is time to go. If you ever find yourself in an Irish pub when someone starts singing it, put down your phone, raise your glass, and listen. You are hearing something very old, and very beautiful, and very alive.

Where to Hear Traditional Irish Music

If The Parting Glass has you dreaming of hearing traditional Irish music live, Ireland’s pubs are where the magic happens. From the legendary sessions in Doolin’s Gus O’Connor’s pub to the cobblestoned music venues of Temple Bar, traditional music is alive and thriving across the country. Read our guide to the 22 best pubs in Ireland to find the perfect session — and who knows, you might just hear The Parting Glass sung at closing time.

For tips on making the most of your pub experience, see our Irish Pub Etiquette Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Parting Glass about?

It is a farewell song. The singer is leaving — whether departing a gathering, emigrating, or facing death — and reflects on a life of good company, fond memories, and no regrets. The “parting glass” is the final drink shared before saying goodbye.

Is The Parting Glass Irish or Scottish?

The earliest known printed version comes from a Scottish broadside ballad, but the song has been part of Irish oral tradition for centuries. It is claimed by both cultures, though it is most strongly associated with Ireland today — particularly with the Irish diaspora and emigration.

When is The Parting Glass traditionally sung?

At the end of the night. In Irish tradition, it is the very last song — sung at the close of a gathering, at funerals, at the end of concerts, and in pubs at closing time. It serves the same function as Auld Lang Syne at New Year, but with more emotional depth.

Who wrote The Parting Glass?

The author is unknown. The song is at least 400 years old and has been passed down through oral tradition. The lyrics have evolved over the centuries, with different versions appearing across Ireland, Scotland, and England.

What is the most famous version of The Parting Glass?

The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem popularised it during the 1960s folk revival. The High Kings perform one of the most widely shared modern versions. Ed Sheeran’s recording introduced it to a new generation.

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