Toora Loora: An Irish Lullaby

Artwork Paula McGloin|CC

A calming song that’s easy to hum, Toora Loora, will help ease your little leprechauns and fairies into slumber.  Here are the lyrics for the famous Irish lullaby…that was actually written by an American, who was longing for his homeland and childhood.

And be careful… or you’ll hum this lovely tune forever!

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Toora, Loora, Loora: An Irish Lullaby Lyrics

Toora, loora, loora
Toora, loora, li
Toora, loora, loora
Hush, now, don’t you cry
Ah,
Toora, loora, loora
Toora, loora, li
Toora, loora, loora
It’s an Irish lullaby

Over in Killarney, many years ago
My mother sang this song to me in tones so sweet and low
Just a simple little ditty in her good old Irish way
And I’d give the world if she could sing that song to me this day

Toora, loora, loora
Toora, loora, li
Toora, loora, loora
Hush, now, don’t you cry
Ah,
Toora, loora, loora
Toora, loora, li
Toora, loora, loora
It’s an Irish lullaby

Click to download a black and white pdf printable of Toora Loora Loora Lyrics – Famlii


History of the Lullaby

The song is not authentic Irish at all, but Irish-American in origin. The music was originally written for performance on Tin Pan Alley by James Royce Shannon in 1913, known as That’s an Irish Lullaby.

Bing Crosby’s 1944 recording is the most famous rendition of the song, selling over a million copies.

The lullaby also regained popularity in 1983, featured memorably in the television show Cheers, when the bar citizens sang Toora Loora over the telephone to soothe the infant Tortelli.

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Original Lyrics to Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That’s an Irish Lullaby)

Over in Killarney, many years ago
My Mother sang a song to me in tones so sweet and low,
Just a simple little ditty, in her good ould Irish way,
And I’d give the world if she could sing That song to me this day.

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Hush now don’t you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
That’s an Irish lullaby.

Oft, in dreams I wander To that cot again,
I feel her arms a huggin’ me As when she held me then.
And I hear her voice a hummin’ To me as in days of yore,
When she used to rock me fast asleep Outside the cabin door.

Written by: James Royce Shannon

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