"Dear Old Donegal" is a traditional Irish folk song popularized by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 singer Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby

Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....

 and written by Steve Graham. The song has an 'upbeat' rhythm and is meant to be the words of a poor Irishman who has to leave his homeland to go to America, however, he gets to return to his native County Donegal

County Donegal

County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...

 after becoming successful in the United States. The unlikely first lines are "It seems like only yesterday / I sailed from out of Cork", as, for someone from Donegal,leaving from Cork is akin to travelling from Boston to San Diego rather than New York to travel to Ireland. Derry would be the most likely port of departure from Donegal.

Dear Old Donegal was also performed by Judy Garland

Judy Garland

Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...

, Zina Bethune

Zina Bethune

Zina Bethune is an American actress, dancer and choreographer.Bethune started formal ballet training at age 6 at George Balanchine's School of American Ballet. By age 14 she was dancing with the New York City Ballet...

, and Vic Damone

Vic Damone

Vic Damone is an American singer and entertainer.- Early life :Damone was born Vito Rocco Farinola in Brooklyn, New York to French-Italian immigrants based in Bari, Italy—Rocco and Mamie Farinola. His father was an electrician; and his mother taught piano. His cousin was the actress and singer...

 as part of the All-Purpose Holiday Medley on The Judy Garland Show

The Judy Garland Show

The Judy Garland Show is an American musical variety television series that aired on CBS on Sunday nights during the 1963-1964 television season. Despite a sometimes stormy relationship with Judy Garland, CBS had found success with several television specials featuring the star...

in 1963.. It was parodied by Allan Sherman

Allan Sherman

Allan Sherman was an American comedy writer and television producer who became famous as a song parodist in the early 1960s. His first album, My Son, the Folk Singer , became the fastest-selling record album up to that time...

 on his album "My Son, the Folk Singer

My Son, the Folk Singer

My Son, the Folk Singer is an album by Allan Sherman [monophonic W-1475/stereophonic WS-1475], released by Warner Bros. Records in 1962. On the album sleeve, the title appears directly below the words "Allan Sherman's mother presents."- Side One :...

", as "Shake Hands With Your Uncle Max", using Jewish references rather than Irish. The tune of the song was used in the US comedy Family Guy

Family Guy

Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...

for the song "Drunken Irish Dad", which was sung by Peter Griffin in the episode "Peter's Two Dads

Peter's Two Dads

"Peter's Two Dads" is the tenth episode of season five of Family Guy. The episode originally aired on Fox on February 11, 2007. The plot follows Peter traveling to Ireland to find his biological father, after he accidentally kills his stepfather at his daughter's birthday party. Meanwhile, Stewie...

". The song was even nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Recordings

• Bing Crosby
  Bing Crosby
  Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
  
  
• Mike Douglas, whose version appeared on an episode of Space Ghost
  Space Ghost
  Space Ghost is a fictional superhero created by Hanna-Barbera Productions and designed by Alex Toth for CBS in the 1960s. In his original incarnation, he was a superhero who, with his sidekick teen helpers Jan, Jace, and Blip the monkey, fought supervillains in outer space...
  
  
• Shirley Ross
  Shirley Ross
  Shirley Ross was an American actress and singer.Ross was born Bernice Gaunt in Omaha, Nebraska but her family relocated to California when she was a child. She studied at Hollywood High School and the University of California and auditioned successfully for Gus Arnheim's band during her second...
  
  , performed on Command Performance in 1943
• Dennis Morgan
  Dennis Morgan
  Dennis Morgan was an American actor-singer. Born as Earl Stanley Morner, he used the acting pseudonym Richard Stanley before adopting his professional name....
  
  , performs it in the film My Wild Irish Rose
  My Wild Irish Rose
  My Wild Irish Rose is a 1947 film directed by David Butler. It stars Dennis Morgan and Arlene Dahl. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1948....
  
  (1947)
• Connie Francis
  Connie Francis
  Connie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...
  
  
• Josef Locke
  Josef Locke
  Josef Locke was the stage name of Joseph McLaughlin , a tenor singer who was successful in the United Kingdom and Ireland in the 1940s and 1950s....
  
  
• Ruby Murray
  Ruby Murray
  Ruby Murray was one of the most popular singers in the United Kingdom and Ireland in the 1950s. In 1955 alone, she secured seven Top 10 UK hit singles.-Child star:...
  
  
• Paddy Noonan
  Paddy Noonan
  Paddy Noonan was an Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy and Carlton in the VFL.A small rover, Noonan played in Fitzroy's inaugural VFL season in 1897 and then their inaugural premiership side the following year...
  
  
• Paul O'Keefe
  Paul O'Keefe
  Paul O'Keefe is an American actor best known for his work on The Patty Duke Show and in the film The Daydreamer. Born in Boston, he began his schooling at the Immaculate Conception School and at the New England Conservatory of Music. He appeared on television with such stars as Sid Caesar, Sarah...
  
  
• Dennis Day
  Dennis Day
  Dennis Day born Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty, was an Irish-American singer and radio, television and film personality.-Early life:...
  
  

Chorus only

Shake hands with your Uncle Mike, me boy,

And here's your sister, Kate.

And sure there's the girl you used to swing

Down by the garden gate.

Shake hands with all your neighbours,

And kiss the colleens all

You're as welcome as the flowers in May

To dear old Donegal.