The Rose of Tralee

"The Rose of Tralee" is a nineteenth-century Irish ballad about a woman called Mary, who because of her beauty was called The Rose of Tralee. The Rose of Tralee International Festival had been inspired by the ballad.

The words of the song are credited to Edward Mordaunt Spencer and the music to Charles William Glover, but a story circulated in connection with the festival claims that the song was written by William Pembroke Mulchinock, out of love for Mary O'Connor, a poor maid in service to his family.

In 2019 the Rose of Tralee International Festival, as part of their 60th Anniversary living history promotion, employed the services of Dr. Andrea Nini, a forensic linguist working on cases of disputed authorship. His report concluded that a poem written by Tralee poet William Pembroke Mulchinock called Smile Mary My Darling was published and passed off by Edward Mordaunt Spencer in 1846 in his book of poetry The Heir of Abbotsville. This poem was adapted into a poem called The Rose of Tralee with the air being re-set by Charles William Glover from one of his previous ballads.

The song was sung by John McCormack in the film Song o' My Heart (1930). In the film The Informer (1935), it is sung by Denis O'Dea. Gordon MacRae sings the song in the film The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady (1950).

Bing Crosby recorded the song on July 17, 1945 for Decca Records with John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra and it was included in his album St. Patrick's Day.

It was sung by the cast at the end of the play "Thirst" (1942) by Flann O'Brien.

In the film The Luck of the Irish the song is sung by Irish tenor Jimmy O'Brien, who completes the song without missing a beat despite the outbreak of a brawl.

The song was used by the Ireland national rugby union team at the 1987 Rugby World Cup. It was a compromise choice instead of a national anthem, due to the political situation in Northern Ireland at the time.

The Rose of Tralee is referenced in the title track of Tom Waits' 1985 album Rain Dogs.

In the film "Auntie Mame," (1958), Brian O'Bannion (Robin Hughes) sings the first couplet of "The Rose of Tralee" as he finishes dressing to escort Mame (Rosalind Russell) to a black tie event to consider optioning the film rights of her autobiography to Warner Brothers.