The Belle of Belfast City

Friday, May 23, 2025Friday, May 23, 2025| 4:19 am

Growing up, I was fortunate to live in a musically eclectic house, especially between the ages of six and nine.  My grandmother would put all manner of records on her player.  My absolute favorite music at the time was polka music.  I didn’t know it at the time, but I was being exposed to Dutch culture and my grandmother’s family came from the Amsterdam area, a place where they lived since at least the 14th century.

Even to this day, I love hearing music from most other cultures.  Not all, but most.  I especially have a taste for Irish music, which is why I absolutely love the song Tell Me Ma, performed by a group called Sham Rock.

Now, it’s important to note that they did not write the original version of this song.  What they did was they rewrote some of the lyrics and set it to a modern-era dance music song.  Their version was unleashed in 2003.

The history of the actual, original song goes back to the 19th century, not in Ireland, but the United Kingdom.  The song didn’t make its way to the land of the Irish until the 19th century surrendered to the 20th.

To give you an idea, here are the original lyrics:

I’ll tell me ma, when I get home
The boys won’t leave the girls alone
Pulled me hair, and stole my comb
But that’s alright, till I go home.

Chorus:
She is handsome, she is pretty
She is the belle of Belfast city
She is a-courting one, two, three
Pray, can you tell me who is she?

Sham Rock’s version goes a little something like this as I had to transcribe the lyrics manually from the music video that I linked you to above as I don’t fully trust this transcription.  I believe my transcription to be accurate, but with their Irish accents, some words are difficult to fully understand.  Regardless, I think you’ll get the general idea.

Tell me, ma, when I go homeThe boys won’t leave the girls aloneThey pull my hair, they stole my combWell, that’s alright, ’til I go home
She is handsome, she is prettyShe is the belle of Belfast CityShe is a-courting one, two, threePray, won’t you tell me who is she?
Tell me, ma, when I go homeThe boys won’t leave the girls aloneThey pull my hair, they stole my combWell, that’s alright, ’til I go home
She is handsome, she is prettyShe is the belle of Belfast CityShe is a-courting one, two, threePray, won’t you tell me who is she?
Albert Mooney says he loves herAll the boys are fighting for herKnock at the door and they ring that bellOh, my true love, are you well?
Out she comes, as white as snowRings on her fingers and bells on her toes
Old Johnny Murray says, “She will dieIf she doesn’t get the fella with the roving eye.”
Tell me, ma, when I go homeThe boys won’t leave the girls aloneThey pull my hair, they stole my combWell, that’s alright, ’til I go homeShe is handsome, she is prettyShe is the belle of Belfast CityShe is a-courting one, two, threePray, won’t you tell me who is she?
Let the wind and the rain and the hail blow highAnd the snow come a-tumbling from the skyShe’s as nice as apple pieAnd she’ll get her own lad, by and by
When she gets a lad of her ownShe won’t tell her ma, ’til she comes home
Let them all come, as they willFor it’s Albert Mooney she loves still
Tell me, ma, when I go homeThe boys won’t leave the girls aloneThey pull my hair, they stole my comb
Well, that’s alright, ’til I go homeShe is handsome, she is prettyShe is the belle of Belfast CityShe is a-courting one, two, threePray, won’t you tell me who is she?
Let the wind and the rain and the hail blow highAnd the snow come a-tumbling from the skyShe’s as nice as apple pieAnd she’ll get her own lad, by and by
When she gets a lad of her ownShe won’t tell her ma, ’til she comes homeLet them all come, as they willFor it’s Albert Mooney she loves still
Tell me, ma, when I go homeThe boys won’t leave the girls aloneThey pull my hair, they stole my combWell, that’s alright, ’til I go homeShe is handsome, she is prettyShe is the belle of Belfast CityShe is a-courting one, two, threePray, won’t you tell me who is she?
Tell me, ma, when I go homeThe boys won’t leave the girls aloneThey pull my hair, they stole my combWell, that’s alright, ’til I go homeShe is handsome, she is prettyShe is the belle of Belfast CityShe is a-courting one, two, threePray, won’t you tell me who is she?
Tell me, ma, when I go homeThe boys won’t leave the girls aloneThey pull my hair, they stole my combWell, that’s alright, ’til I go homeShe is handsome, she is prettyShe is the belle of Belfast CityShe is a-courting one, two, threePray, won’t you tell me who is she?
Won’t you tell meWon’t you tell meWon’t you tell me who is she?Won’t you tell meWon’t you tell meWon’t you tell me who is she?Won’t you tell meWon’t you tell meWon’t you tell me who is she?Won’t you tell meWon’t you tell meWon’t you tell me who is she?
The video itself is very Irish indeed.  There are plenty of Irish dance breaks and it’s all very cultural.  According to several sources on the internet, this song is played to this day at Irish weddings and wakes.  Some people even specifically request that the song be played at their funeral.  Maybe not Sham Rock’s version, but definitely the original version.
The track is, even after all this years, alive and well thanks to the people around the world, especially in Ireland, who listen to it and make use of it.