You've heard the song. It’s that foot-stomping, fiddle-heavy "jig" at the end of Ed Sheeran's Divide album that makes you want to find a pub in Wexford and start dancing on a table. But honestly, Ed Sheeran Nancy Mulligan isn’t just some catchy Irish folk tune he cooked up to appease his heritage. It is a stone-cold, 100% true story about a massive family rift that almost stopped the Sheeran lineage right in its tracks.
Most pop songs are about temporary heartbreaks or getting drunk in a club. This one is about molten gold teeth, a secret "on the run" wedding, and a religious divide that was very real and very dangerous in 1940s Ireland.
The Real Nancy and Bill
Ed’s grandmother, Anne Mary "Nancy" Mulligan, wasn't some fictional muse. She was a nurse from the Republic of Ireland—a staunch Catholic. His grandfather, William "Bill" Sheeran, was a Protestant farm boy from near Belfast. In today’s world, that’s a "who cares?" situation. In the 1940s? It was basically the Irish version of Romeo and Juliet.
William was 24. Nancy was 22. They met at Guy’s Hospital in London during the Second World War. Bill was a dental student; Nancy was working the soldier's ward. They fell hard. But when Bill went to ask Nancy’s father for her hand in marriage, the answer wasn't just a "no." It was a "never."
The religious tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Her family didn't want a Protestant in the mix, and his family wasn't exactly thrilled about a Catholic girl from the south either.
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Making a Ring From Gold Teeth
This is the part everyone thinks Ed made up for the lyrics. He didn't.
Since they didn't have the family's blessing (or much money), Bill had to get creative. He was a dental student. He literally took gold fillings and dental gold from his surgery, melted them down, and forged a wedding ring for Nancy himself.
Imagine that for a second. That is some hardcore devotion. No Tiffany & Co. box. Just a guy, a blowtorch, and some molten scrap metal because he was determined to marry the woman he loved.
They eventually "went on the run." They didn't have a big white wedding. They wore borrowed clothes. Only one person showed up—Nancy’s twin sister, Peggy. They got hitched "down by the Wexford border," specifically at the border between the North and South, symbolizing the literal and metaphorical line they were crossing.
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A 60-Year Marriage That Flipped the Script
Despite the fact that nobody showed up to the wedding and their families were basically at war over the union, Bill and Nancy stayed together for over 60 years.
- They had eight children (five sons, three daughters).
- They ended up with 22 grandchildren (Ed being the most famous, obviously).
- They lived most of their lives in London before retiring back to Gorey, County Wexford.
Bill passed away in 2013. Ed actually wore Bill's tie—the one he won from the British Boxing Board of Control—to the Grammys as a tribute. Nancy lived much longer, eventually passing away in April 2023 at the age of 98.
Why the Song "Nancy Mulligan" Almost Didn't Happen
Ed has been pretty open about the fact that his label wasn't exactly begging for Irish folk songs. Traditional "trad" music isn't exactly a chart-topper in the streaming era.
He recorded the track with the Irish band Beoga (who also worked on "Galway Girl"). He fought to keep it on the album because he felt pop music had become too "twee" and lost its storytelling roots. He wanted a "jig" that felt youthful.
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When Nancy first heard the song, her reaction was classic Irish grandmother. She didn't faint or go on about how proud she was. She basically said it was "fine" as long as she didn't have to be the one playing it. She was more interested in whether Ed was getting enough sleep than she was in his #1 hits.
What Most People Get Wrong
There's a common misconception that this was a "rebel" song against the British Crown because of the line "I never worried about the King and Crown."
In reality, it’s a line about identity. Bill was from the North (historically loyal to the Crown), and Nancy was from the South (Republic). By saying he didn't care about the King, Bill was saying his loyalty was to Nancy, not a political entity or a religious institution. It was a deeply personal middle finger to the sectarianism of the time.
How to Dig Deeper Into the Story
If you're looking to really understand the vibe of the song, you've gotta look past the Spotify stream.
- Watch the reaction video: There is actual footage of Nancy listening to the song for the first time. It’s sweet, awkward, and very real.
- Listen to Beoga: If you like the fiddle work on "Nancy Mulligan," check out Beoga's own albums. They are the ones who gave the track its authentic Irish backbone.
- Visit Wexford: If you ever find yourself in Ireland, Gorey is a real place. The "Wexford border" isn't just a lyric; it’s where a huge chunk of Ed’s family history lives.
The song serves as a reminder that the "good old days" were actually pretty complicated. It took a lot of guts for a Protestant boy and a Catholic girl to build a life together in 1951. Next time you're shouting the lyrics at a concert, remember the dental gold and the borrowed clothes. It’s a love story that actually earned its happy ending.