"The Kelligrews (no apostrophe) Soiree" appears (music and words) on pages 90 and 91 of "The Penguin Book of Canadian Folk Songs", first published in 1973 and compiled by the late Edith Fowke. The book includes excellent notes by Ms. Fowke and a discography.

Edith Fowke has taken the song from the 1940 edition of Gerald S. Doyle's "The Old Time Songs and Poetry of Newfoundland". She wrote "The words were written by one of the Island's favourite bards, John Burke, who used to sponsor variety shows in St. John's until his death in 1925. He patterned his ditty on Irish music-hall songs like "The Irish Jubilee" and "Lanigan's Ball", and set it to a rollicking tune.

"Kelligrews is a small village on the east coast of Conception Bay west of St. John's, and "Clara Nolan's Ball" was the title of an American vaudeville song of the nineteenth century."