“The Minstrel Boy” was written by Irish poet and artiste Thomas Moore. He wrote the lyrics in commemoration of friends who had died in the 1798 Irish Rebellion, and set it to the tune of an old Irish air called “The Moreen.” The song quickly became a popular patriotic song, both in Ireland and among Irishmen abroad, including Irish-American Civil War Regiments. Continue reading The Minstrel Boy →