Known as one of the most beautiful and nostalgic Irish ballads the origins are unclear, but it has been traced to the Irish folk song Do bhi bean uasal (There Was a Noblewoman). There Was a Noblewoman is attributed to the poet Cathal Bui Mac Giolla Ghunna who died in 1745 in County Clare and the song appears on a ballad sheet in Cork City dated circa 1850. It is believed that the song is named after Carrickfergus in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was played at the 1999 funeral of John F. Kennedy, Jr. and this and Whiskey In the Jar belong to the most popular among the Irish folk songs. Many performers have recorded the song including Charlotte Church, Katherine Jenkins, Joan Baez, Paddy Reilly, Bryan Ferry, The Clancy Brothers, The Dubliners, Lisa Kelly, Loreena McKennitt, Van Morrison and Ronan Keating and it has been featured in films and on TV including in The MatchMaker, Boardwalk Empire, Peaky Blinders, Waking the Dead, Celtic Woman, With or Without You, Doctor Finlay. . . .
