Dr. Mary Louise O’Donnell gives us a glimpse into the historical context that resulted in Edward Bunting’s second volume (1809) of his three collections works. We learn about a most note-worthy contributor to the collection, Ulster poet, Mary Balfour, who was part of Bunting’s tight social circle that facilitated their collaborative compositions. Accompanying herself on the harp, Dr. O’Donnell sing songs from the collection, illuminating why and how the cultural and political context in which this volume was produced, causes it to stand out as a rather curious work.