And the boys of the NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay - an ode to Fairytale of New York.

The Pogues were one of the greatest Irish groups of all time. And, in ‘Fairytale of New York’, they produced a classic that captured the hearts and minds of countless people all over the world. It is widely considered to be the greatest Christmas song of all time.

In the chorus, Shane MacGowan has a standout lyric on which most listeners join in: “…the boys of the NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay…”. While people all over the world belt out that line, very few realise there has never been an NYPD choir, so none have ever sang Galway Bay…

Until now.

As champions of Irish emigrants the world over, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum wanted to bring this famed line to life, and celebrate the song ‘Galway Bay’, another timeless Irish classic, penned by Irish emigrant, Arthur Colahan, as a tribute to his homeland.

Last month, we assembled a handful of retired NYPD officers, who together with a local amateur choir, lent their voices to the beloved ‘Galway Bay’ in a Brooklyn recording studio.

The result, we hope you’ll agree is a breathtaking rendition of ‘Galway Bay’, which will be shared with and reach the Irish around the world, wherever they might be spending Christmas this year.

Shane MacGowan, RIP.