"The Shores of Amerikay", also known as "The Shores of America", is a

traditional A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

song. The song's narrator is

emigrating Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...

from

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, and the song is both a meditation on this and a statement of purpose. Some versions have

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and not America as the emigrant's destination.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. The song is played in the

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and museum of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917–1963), the 35th president of the United States (1961–1963). It is located on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighbo ...

's exhibit on

Kennedy Kennedy may refer to: People * John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), 35th president of the United States * John Kennedy (Louisiana politician), (born 1951), US Senator from Louisiana * Kennedy (surname), a family name (including a list of persons with t ...

's Trip to Ireland.

Recordings

"The Shores of Amerikay" has been recorded by a variety of artists, including: * The

Wolfe Tones The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band that incorporate Irish traditional music in their songs. Formed in 1963, they take their name from Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double meaning of ...

on their 1976 album "Across the Broad Atlantic" * The Mudmen on their 2012 album "Donegal Danny" * The Broadsiders *

James Galway Sir James Galway (born 8 December 1939) is an Irish virtuoso flute player from Belfast, nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Flute". He established an international career as a solo flute player. In 2005, he received the Brit Award for Outstan ...

Johnny McEvoy Johnny McEvoy (born 24 April 1945) is an Irish singer and entertainer of Country and Irish genre born in Banagher, County Offaly, Ireland. Personal life Johnny was born in 1945, one of four children with two sisters and a brother to John and ...

* Patrick Clifford on the album ''

American Wake ''American Wake'' is the third album by Kansas City Celtic rock band The Elders. Track listing # "Moore St. Girls" # "Hardline" # "American Wake" # "St. Kevin" # "Men of Erin Erin is a Hiberno-English word for Ireland originating fr ...

References

External links

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shores of Amerikay, The Folk ballads Irish folk songs Year of song unknown