Despite its name, My Irish Molly-O isn t an Irish song at all. It originated in the United States in the early 1900s. There were thousands of Irish immigrants in New York at the turn of the 20th century. Many of them had been forced to emigrate because of poverty and lack of opportunity at home. Miss Blanche Ring - one of the first performers of My Irish Molly-O in New York. Although they were committed to building a better life for themselves in the US, they missed their home country and welcomed anything that reminded them of where they had come from. American songwriters were quick to recognise that the Irish represented a large market. Numerous songs were written on Irish themes; When Irish Eyes Are Smiling and My Irish Molly-O are two notable examples. These songs often included the occasional Irish word to add a little authenticity to the lyrics. Some terms, however, like begorrah in My Irish Molly-O, were more stage Irish than real Irish.