The Parting Glass – a Celtic ballad – has a history that’s associated with gatherings in the Celtic lands. At the end of the gatherings, friends will typically sing songs.

And the gathering usually provides departing guests with a drink as they’re leaving. That was a way of giving them something ‘for the road’.

At funerals and wakes the Parting Glass is sung as a lament that leaves many mourners in tears.

‘The Celts were fearless warriors as they wish to inculcate this as one of the leading tenets. They believe that souls do not become extinct, but pass after death from one body to another.’ ~ Julius Caesar.

This became somewhat of a custom, and was widely practiced across Celtic lands back in the day. This practice was so popular that it formed the basis for the song The Parting Glass.

According to rumour, the most popular song sung to commemorate the parting of friends is The Parting Glass; until Robert Burns, a noted Scottish poet, wrote ‘Auld Lang Syne’. Owing to its worldwide popularity, it has been enjoyed in Scotland and Ireland many times in the past.

Many different versions of The Parting Glass have been recorded by many musical artists. In 1958, The Clancy Brothers recorded it. And that’s one of the earliest versions on record. However, more contemporary versions, such as the ones sung by Ed Sheeran, were recorded over the last 60 years.

The popularity of The Parting Glass would most likely contribute to the sheer volume of recordings out there by many artists both known and unknown.

The Parting Glass has many references to companionship and friendship. The parting of a friend need not be a purely sombre occasion but instead a joyful one in The Parting Glass. It has many connotations and they are all important to understand.

Certainly, one of the most popular songs to originate from the Celtic Lands of Scotland and Ireland is The Parting Glass. It is, despite the topic matter, not an inherently sad song.

Rather, it is an acknowledgement that friends will be reunited again, and that this departure is only temporary. The Parting Glass is a significant traditional piece, and perhaps always will be. PLEASE SHARE OUR BEAUTIFUL STORIES.

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