St. Patrick’s Day is an age-old holiday that’s celebrated in over 50 countries in the world. Needless to say, it’s a day where everyone likes to dress up in green and drink until they’re green.
But not just that; St. Paddy’s Day is also a day where you can get together with your friends and spend some quality time with them. For instance, you might want to throw a party and belt out some bangers to commemorate the event.
Are you looking for some inspiration? Then here is our updated list of 20 Irish karaoke songs you need to be singing on St. Patrick’s Day.
1. The Boys Are Back in Town - Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy is a classic rock band that first formed in Dublin back in 1969. “The Boys Are Back in Town” is a song that’s commonly played at Irish sporting matches, so if you put this song on, it’s sure to give the space an Irish feel.
Plus, it can be a great song to put on to kick off your party. This can be especially true if you’re meeting up with mates that you haven’t seen in a while. Put your arms around one another, grab some microphones, and sing along to this tune together.
2. Nothing Compares 2U - Sinead O'Connor
Sinead O’Connor was a singer who made it big in the late 1980s, then went on to become a global hit in the 1990s. So chances are, you probably know some of her songs.
“Nothing Compares 2U” is a wonderful power ballad to sing and dance slowly to as you sip on your pints. You can always use this tune to give yourselves a breather in between quicker songs. Or you can use it as the last song of the night to wind things down.
3. Finnegan's Wake - Dropkick Murphys
Finnegan’s Wake is actually a traditional Irish folk song, which makes this a perfect song to sing on St. Paddy’s Day. But the Dropkick Murphys put a great punk twist to it, which can really get everyone moving.
Throw this song onto your karaoke machine and belt out the tune while having an impromptu mosh pit. We guarantee everyone will thoroughly enjoy it! This blend of old and new is sure to please everyone.
4. Zombie - The Cranberries
This can be quite a fun tune to sing, especially if you have a few pints of Guinness in you already.
The Cranberries are an Irish rock band, which makes it befitting for you to sing a song by them. Not only that, but “Zombie” is actually a tribute to two boys who were killed in the Warrington IRA bombings. Pay your respects to the fallen with some karaoke to this beautiful song.
5. Linger - The Cranberries
The Cranberries are just so great that we had to put them on the list twice. But for good reason!
Not only are they an Irish group, but their song “Linger” is one of the most famous Irish karaoke songs out there. So if you’re throwing a St. Patrick’s Day party, it wouldn’t make any sense to leave this song off your repertoire.
6. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
Need a more modern song on your list? No worries, we’ve got you.
“Chasing Cars” came out in 2006 and was immensely popular, especially in the US. In fact, the popular TV show “Grey’s Anatomy” featured this song, so you know it was good!
This is also a ballad, so you can use it as a good time to sing your heart out while having a great time with your mates.
7. No Matter What - No Matter What
This one’s for the ladies in your party!
Boyzone was an Irish boy band that was first formed in 1993. So chances are, at least a few of the ladies in your party grew up listening to these heartthrobs.
Do them a favour and put this track on your karaoke list. When they hear this song come on, they’ll go mad for it, guaranteed. Watch them sway to the beat and belt out this song they probably listened to over and over again as teenagers.
8. Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Van Morrison is an Irish singer and songwriter who’s known for his rock, R&B, folk, and blues songs. So if the people in your party are getting sick of punk rock songs and power ballads, then put on a song by Van Morrison. More specifically, “Brown Eyed Girl.”
This is a fun enough song that’ll have everyone tapping their toes and singing along, so it’s great to have to appease the crowd.
9. Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2
We couldn’t make this list of Irish karaoke songs without including U2 on it. This band was first formed in 1796 but was immensely popular for decades. For this reason, people both young and old know of U2.
So if you have people of varying ages in your party, then U2 can be a fantastic group to put on for karaoke. While this song is older than most other songs by U2, there’s bound to be at least a few people in your party who will know it.
10. Whiskey In The Jar - Metallica
This centuries-old Irish folk song has been featured on many a pub’s St. Paddy’s Day playlists over the years, with one of the most famous renditions being the Dubliners’ hit single released in the late 1960s.
For karaoke night, however, nothing beats belting out Metallica’s fiery late ’90s cover version. The official music video itself features the American metal band performing for a half-dressed, all-female house party that ends in complete debauchery, which says it all, really. If you want a guaranteed floor-filler to get the party started, this is one karaoke song everyone in the room is going to want to sham-rock out to.
11. I'm Shipping Up To Boston - Dropkick Murphys
If you prefer your St. Paddy’s Day to have just a pinch of pirate-y goodness, Boston’s unofficial anthem is sure to shiver your timbers from the moment you belt out the first few lines:
“I’m a sailor peg,
And I lost my leg!
Climbing up the topsails,
I lost my leg!”
The explosively angry Irish instrumentals in this song have the potential to turn a tea party into a mosh pit. Needless to say, this shouty hit single has inspired countless beer-fueled bar fights Stateside since its 2005 debut. It officially made its way to the world stage when it featured in the trailer for the Irish-American gangster film The Departed released the following year.
Originally from Quincy, Massachusetts, the Dropkick Murphys are a Boston Irish band that has been pumping out St. Paddy’s Day-worthy punk since 1996.
12. Dirty Old Town - The Pogues
Leave your fairytales in New York where they belong and take on this gritty ditty on St. Patrick’s Day this year. Though this song was originally written by Ewan McConnell in 1949 about his working class hometown of Salford, England, it took on an Irish twist after the Pogues released their booze-soaked 1985 cover.
Like anything sung by The Pogues’ lead singer Shane McGowan, “Dirty Old Town” will make you feel like you need a long, hot shower after you sing it — but in a good way.
For authenticity, make sure your voice is as ragged as possible — like you’ve been chain smoking and downing double Jamesons in the pub for two weeks straight.
13. (What Do You Do With a) Drunken Sailor? - The Dubliners
If you want your Karaoke party to set sail in a more traditional direction, singing this boozy 300-year-old Irish drinking song on St. Patrick’s Day will get everyone’s toes tapping along in no time. With lyrics like “put him in the hold with the captain’s daughter” and “shave his belly with a rusty razor”, just make sure you get this one done earlier in the night before your audience gets any ideas.
14. With or Without You - U2
As smooth and sweet as a sip of chilled Bailey’s, U2’s famous touchy-feely ballad provides the perfect balance to the hyperactive hits on this list. The top-selling single, which describes a tortured yet inescapable romance, was released by the Dublin-born band in 1987.
If you’re in the mood to hit those high notes and sing your heart out, this all-Irish love song belongs on your St. Paddy’s Day playlist.
15. Galway Girl - Ed Sheeran
When Ed Sheeran released “Galway Girl” on the 17th of March in 2017, it instantly became a St. Patrick’s Day classic all over the world. The song tells the tale of a fleeting romantic encounter between the fiddler of an Irish band and an Englishman who meet outside a bar on Grafton Street in Galway. Heavily influenced by traditional Irish music, this catchy collaboration between Sheeran and Irish folk band Beoga topped out at number one in the Irish charts and the top five in countries all over Europe.
16. An Irish Pub Song - The Rumjacks
Want to raise everyone’s spirits? Give this St. Paddy’s Day ode to Irish pubs all over the world a shot. Just the first few lines of this high-octane Celtic punk track will make everyone wish they were Irish (even if the band itself is from Australia).
“There’s a county map to go on the wall,
A hurling stick & a shinty ball,
The bric, the brac, the craic & all,
Let’s call it an Irish pub!”
The Rumjacks’ 2011 release was their first international breakthrough, and by 2017 and 2018, it was the third most-watched music video on St. Patrick’s Day. The song was written as a commentary on how no matter where you travel on earth, there’s bound to be an Irish pub somewhere nearby.
17. The Wild Rover (Traditional Folk Song)
Want to raise everyone’s spirits? Give this St. Paddy’s Day ode to Irish pubs all over the world a shot. Just the first few lines of this high-octane Celtic punk track will make everyone wish they were Irish (even if the band itself is from Australia).
“There’s a county map to go on the wall,
A hurling stick & a shinty ball,
The bric, the brac, the craic & all,
Let’s call it an Irish pub!”
The Rumjacks’ 2011 release was their first international breakthrough, and by 2017 and 2018, it was the third most-watched music video on St. Patrick’s Day. The song was written as a commentary on how no matter where you travel on earth, there’s bound to be an Irish pub somewhere nearby.
18. Breathless - The Corrs
This breathtakingly beautiful ballad was released in 2000 by the Celtic pop-rock band The Corrs, a group of siblings from Dundalk, Ireland. The upbeat song, which was likened by critics to be the perfect blend of Blondie and The Cranberries, was an instant hit and topped charts all over the world. Ladies who feel like their vocal chords can live up to Andrea Corr’s singing voice (at least after a few Irish Mists) should try this karaoke classic on for size on St. Paddy’s Day. They’ll be sure to take everyone’s breath away.
19. I Don't Like Mondays - The Boomtown Rats
Fronted by the famous Bob Geldof, The Boomtown Rats first crawled their way out of Dublin in 1975, but this 1979 hit single is what put the Irish rock band on the map worldwide. The song title, however takes a decidedly darker turn when you find out it was inspired by a 1979 shooting incident, where the killer’s only explanation was, “I don’t like Mondays. This livens up the day.” Despite all of this, the lyrics still speak to weekend-loving people everywhere, making this song a mainstay on karaoke playlists to this day.
This song makes for a perfect karaoke duet if you can get one person to belt out the thirteen “Tell Me Whys” while the better singer of the two does all the rest.
20. Whole Of The Moon - The Waterboys
In the mood for a bit of crooning? This slightly sappy 1980s hit single by the Waterboys, an Irish-British folk band, is a stellar addition to any out-of-this-world St. Paddy’s Day karaoke playlist. The Waterboys wrote this song as an homage to people who’ve inspired them over the years, so the lyrics are open to interpretation… and might make a nice selenic serenade for that special someone.
Bonus Track - 21. National Express - Divine Comedy
Any song by the Northern Irish band responsible for the Father Ted opening theme (and most of the music on the show) definitely deserves a sing-along on the 17th.
National Express, which describes lead singer Neil Hannon’s view from his train window of the National Express coach, is one of the chamber-pop band’s most recognisable off-TV tracks.
With relatable lyrics like “Take the National Express when your life’s in a mess” and “it’s hard to get by when your arse is the size of a small country”, this song will keep your party from going off the rails.
Bonus Track - 22. The Sick Note - The Irish Rovers
Sing this silly song as a precursor to the day after the night before, when you might need to write a “sick note” of your own after the craic of a good St. Paddy’s day party. Even if you’ve never heard this traditional tune before, not knowing the words somehow seems to make it even more authentic as you drunkenly stagger your way through the hilarious lyrics:
“Dear Sir, I write this note to you to tell you of me plight
And at the time of writing, I am not a pretty sight;
Me body is all black and blue, me face a deathly gray
And I write this note to say why Paddy’s not at work today.”
Enjoy Singing These Irish Karaoke Songs This St. Patrick's Day
Now that you know what the 20 best Irish karaoke songs to sing are, the next step is to get a karaoke machine! There’s no need to bring out your gran’s old and beat-up one; rent one from London Karaoke Hire instead.
We have everything from microphones and machines to touchscreen kiosks and booths for that extra touch. So if you’re hosting a St. Paddy’s Day party and need to impress your family and friends, make sure to rent these from us too.
With our custom-built systems, you’ll enjoy 90,000 legally licensed high-quality songs, which will provide the ultimate karaoke experience for everyone.
Are you ready to rent a premium karaoke system for your upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Irish Karaoke Party? Then get in touch with us now to enquire about our services.
