That was very common in our very large and extended family, also Irish on My Fathers Side. We sang a lot, sometimes to an old, out of tune upright piano. I recall many of the songs, Rose of Tralee, The Minstrel Boy, Star of The County Down...also lots of Stephen Foster songs, Hard Times, Gentle Annie, camptown Races , yes, very good times. And many world war 11 songs, especially Vera Lyn. People would often recite a poem, Yeats or Stevenson, I had an uncle who did an annual recitation of The Battle of Lepanto, kept us all on the edge of seats even though we'd heard it dozens of times and, my mum did Fred Franakopan and the Biggest Aspidastra in the world. I wonder if people still recite stories and poems ?
Anyway, thanks for starting this, it should be a pleasant thread, hope others take it up.