I believe I've read that the London lawyer who wrote Danny Boy never set foot in Ireland.

I can best express my opinion of that song by paraphrasing Oscar Wilde: it takes a heart of stone to hear Danny Boy without laughing.

My own favorite Irish song, if I had to choose one, would be The summer will come. Ned of the Hill and Dark Rosaleen, though somewhat of old chestnuts, are also good, provided the singer avoids the all too frequent fault of oversentimentalizing them.

Jon Corelis