The book introduces the reader to over four hundred and fifty titles, excluding variants and versions of songs. The songs were collected for the most part by full-time, part-time and other collectors with the Irish Folklore Commission, the forerunner to the National Folklore Collection, UCD.

Among the collectors some well-known names in folklore collecting appear including Ciarán Bairéad, Proinsias de Búrca, Séamus Ennis, Calum Mac Gill-Eathain and Brian Mac Lochlainn.

The author has compiled a catalogue of songs in the manuscript material of the National Folklore Collection. The songs embrace all aspects of life - love, sorrow, praise, religion, politics and the comic.

Indices include titles, first lines, proper names, singers, collectors, authors and locations in relation to the songs, the singers and the collectors.