The Rare Auld Times Lyrics And Chords
This Irish folk song about Dublin City was written by Pete St. John. The Rare Old Times Sheet Music Notes . The rare old times fingerstyle / picking guitar tab now added. This is probably the most famous Dublin song of all time.A classic from Pete who has written tons of great songs over the years. Use the guitar chords I have given to play along with my version of The Rare Auld Times. It was recorded by Johnny McEvoy, The Dubliners with Luke Kelly on vocals and later Ronnie Drew. The Dublin City Ramblers had a massive hit with the song in the 1980's. Country singer Nathan Carter brought it out in 2018. I'm using a capo on the 2nd fret which puts me into the key of A. The song was recently recorded by The Whistlin' Donkeys on The Forge Sessions in 2019. Now included is the guitar tab in Irish tuning of Dadgad plus the bass guitar tab.
[G]Raised on songs &[C] stor[G]ies
[Em]Heroes of re[C]nown
The[G] passing tales &[C] glor[G]ies
That once was Dublin[D] Town
The[G] hallowed halls and[C] hous[G]es
The[Em] haunting children's[C] rhymes
That[G] once was Dublin[C] Ci[G]ty
In the[D] rare ould[G] times.
Chorus:
[G]Ringa Ringa[C] Ros[G]ey
As the[Em] light de[C]clines
I'll[G] remember Dublin[C] Ci[G]ty
In the[D] rare ould [G]Times.
My name it is Sean Dempsey
As Dublin as could be
Born hard & late in Pimlico
In a house that ceased to be
My trade I was a cooper
Lost out to redundancy
Like my house that fell to progress
My trades a memory
I courted Peggy Digman
As pretty as you please.
A rage and child of Mary
from the rebel liberties
I lost her to a student chap
With skin as back as coal
When he took her off to Birmingham
She took away my soul.
The years have made me bitter
The gargle dims me brain
Cause Dublin keeps on changing
and Nothing seems the same.
The Pillar and the Met have gone
The Royal long since pulled down
As the grey unyielding concrete
Makes a city of my Town.
Fare thee well sweet Anna Liffey
I can no longer stay
And watch me new glass cages that
Spring up along me Ouay
My mind's too full of memories
Too old to hear new chimes
l'm a part of what was Dublin
In the rare ould times.
[Em]Heroes of re[C]nown
The[G] passing tales &[C] glor[G]ies
That once was Dublin[D] Town
The[G] hallowed halls and[C] hous[G]es
The[Em] haunting children's[C] rhymes
That[G] once was Dublin[C] Ci[G]ty
In the[D] rare ould[G] times.
Chorus:
[G]Ringa Ringa[C] Ros[G]ey
As the[Em] light de[C]clines
I'll[G] remember Dublin[C] Ci[G]ty
In the[D] rare ould [G]Times.
My name it is Sean Dempsey
As Dublin as could be
Born hard & late in Pimlico
In a house that ceased to be
My trade I was a cooper
Lost out to redundancy
Like my house that fell to progress
My trades a memory
I courted Peggy Digman
As pretty as you please.
A rage and child of Mary
from the rebel liberties
I lost her to a student chap
With skin as back as coal
When he took her off to Birmingham
She took away my soul.
The years have made me bitter
The gargle dims me brain
Cause Dublin keeps on changing
and Nothing seems the same.
The Pillar and the Met have gone
The Royal long since pulled down
As the grey unyielding concrete
Makes a city of my Town.
Fare thee well sweet Anna Liffey
I can no longer stay
And watch me new glass cages that
Spring up along me Ouay
My mind's too full of memories
Too old to hear new chimes
l'm a part of what was Dublin
In the rare ould times.
The youtube video of myself playing is to learn you how to play The Rare Auld Times, the key I use is A Major. I place the capo on the second fret and play G, C, D and Em.
Unlike other songs this never goes stale and remains a great crowd pleaser. First recorded by The Dublin City Ramblers and later by Ronnie Drew and The Dubliners
Unlike other songs this never goes stale and remains a great crowd pleaser. First recorded by The Dublin City Ramblers and later by Ronnie Drew and The Dubliners
Here's the chords in the key of D
[D]Raised on songs &[G] stor[D]ies
[Bm]Heroes of re[G]nown
The[D] passing tales &[G] glor[D]ies
That once was Dublin[A] Town
The[D] hallowed halls and[G] hous[D]es
The[Bm] haunting children's[G] rhymes
That[D] once was Dublin[G] Ci[D]ty
In the[A] rare ould[D] times.
Chorus:
[D]Ringa Ringa[G] Ros[D]ey
As the[Bm] light de[G]clines
I'll[D] remember Dublin[G] Ci[D]ty
In the[A] rare ould [D]Times.
[D]Raised on songs &[G] stor[D]ies
[Bm]Heroes of re[G]nown
The[D] passing tales &[G] glor[D]ies
That once was Dublin[A] Town
The[D] hallowed halls and[G] hous[D]es
The[Bm] haunting children's[G] rhymes
That[D] once was Dublin[G] Ci[D]ty
In the[A] rare ould[D] times.
Chorus:
[D]Ringa Ringa[G] Ros[D]ey
As the[Bm] light de[G]clines
I'll[D] remember Dublin[G] Ci[D]ty
In the[A] rare ould [D]Times.
The rare old times guitar tab
Below is the list of sheet music and tin whistle songs that are in my ebooks. This is the largest collection of tin whistle songs ever put together.[over 800 songs ] Including folk, pop and trad tunes plus German And French songs along with Christmas Carols.
All of the sheet music tabs have been made as easy to play as was possible.
The price of the ebooks is €7.50
All of the sheet music tabs have been made as easy to play as was possible.
The price of the ebooks is €7.50
The Rare Auld Times Guitar Tab In Irish Tuning of DADGAD
Ebook of tabs in DADGAD
The Bass Tab In G Major
☘️ The Rare Auld Times
Written by: Pete St. John
First recorded by: Danny Doyle (1977)
Popularized by: The Dubliners, Paddy Reilly, The High Kings, and many others
Genre: Irish contemporary folk ballad
Themes: Nostalgia, change, loss of identity, pride in Dublin roots
🏙️ Overview
“The Rare Auld Times” (also known as Dublin in the Rare Old Times) is a modern classic of Irish folk music, written by Pete St. John, the same songwriter who penned The Fields of Athenry and The Ferryman.
The song is a love letter and a lament for the old city of Dublin — its people, its character, and its soul — as it underwent rapid modernization and urban renewal during the 1960s and 1970s.
It’s told through the eyes of Sean Dempsey, a working-class Dubliner from Pimlico, who mourns the loss of the Dublin he once knew — a city of horse-drawn trams, gaslights, and community spirit — now replaced by glass towers and changing values.
Written by: Pete St. John
First recorded by: Danny Doyle (1977)
Popularized by: The Dubliners, Paddy Reilly, The High Kings, and many others
Genre: Irish contemporary folk ballad
Themes: Nostalgia, change, loss of identity, pride in Dublin roots
🏙️ Overview
“The Rare Auld Times” (also known as Dublin in the Rare Old Times) is a modern classic of Irish folk music, written by Pete St. John, the same songwriter who penned The Fields of Athenry and The Ferryman.
The song is a love letter and a lament for the old city of Dublin — its people, its character, and its soul — as it underwent rapid modernization and urban renewal during the 1960s and 1970s.
It’s told through the eyes of Sean Dempsey, a working-class Dubliner from Pimlico, who mourns the loss of the Dublin he once knew — a city of horse-drawn trams, gaslights, and community spirit — now replaced by glass towers and changing values.
My Old Dublin City song lyrics
Strolling through the streets, the sun is shining bright
People passing by, such a lively sight
The cobblestone pathways, beneath my feet
Every corner I turn, there's a new beat
(Chorus)
Walking around Dublin City, feeling so alive
The energy here, it's hard to deny
From the pubs to the parks, there's so much to see
In this beautiful city, where I long to be
(Verse 2)
The Liffey river flows, as the buskers play
Their music fills the air, in the most magical way
The smell of fresh food, from the market stalls
And the colorful buildings, standing tall
(Chorus)
Walking around Dublin City, feeling so alive
The energy here, it's hard to deny
From the pubs to the parks, there's so much to see
In this beautiful city, where I long to be
(Bridge)
There's a sense of history, in every street
From the castles to the churches, it's all so neat
But it's the people and their spirit, that shine the brightest
In this city that's full of life and the friendliest
(Chorus)
Walking around Dublin City, feeling so alive
The energy here, it's hard to deny
From the pubs to the parks, there's so much to see
In this beautiful city, where I long to be
(Outro)
So if you ever have the chance, just take a walk
Through Dublin City, it'll be a memory you'll never forget or balk
For there's something special about this place
That will make you want to come back, to experience its grace.
Strolling through the streets, the sun is shining bright
People passing by, such a lively sight
The cobblestone pathways, beneath my feet
Every corner I turn, there's a new beat
(Chorus)
Walking around Dublin City, feeling so alive
The energy here, it's hard to deny
From the pubs to the parks, there's so much to see
In this beautiful city, where I long to be
(Verse 2)
The Liffey river flows, as the buskers play
Their music fills the air, in the most magical way
The smell of fresh food, from the market stalls
And the colorful buildings, standing tall
(Chorus)
Walking around Dublin City, feeling so alive
The energy here, it's hard to deny
From the pubs to the parks, there's so much to see
In this beautiful city, where I long to be
(Bridge)
There's a sense of history, in every street
From the castles to the churches, it's all so neat
But it's the people and their spirit, that shine the brightest
In this city that's full of life and the friendliest
(Chorus)
Walking around Dublin City, feeling so alive
The energy here, it's hard to deny
From the pubs to the parks, there's so much to see
In this beautiful city, where I long to be
(Outro)
So if you ever have the chance, just take a walk
Through Dublin City, it'll be a memory you'll never forget or balk
For there's something special about this place
That will make you want to come back, to experience its grace.
