Watch: Saoirse Ronan and Jimmy Fallon stage an Irish pub lock-in and sing Fairytale of New York

Ah, Christmas. What would it be without our favourite festive jingles on repeat? There’ll always be the argument that while Mariah Carey will likely forever be the Queen of Christmas, The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York will remain one of the greatest tracks of all time. As the years go on, it only becomes more poignant and beloved to the nation, particularly given the tragedy of Kirsty MacColl’s death.

There’s never been an official cover of the song that has really made a mark – no one can quite touch the power of the original.

But, it won’t stop many from trying, including Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, who being an incredibly good sport, bravely belted out a rendition of the track with Jimmy Fallon. Ronan appeared on The Tonight Show with the host just recently and the two decided on a scripted-yet-impromptu rendition of the song. Ronan is in the midst of a promotional run, thanks to her role in the upcoming Mary, Queen of Scots (a performance that has already heard whispers of an Oscar) and is, as ever, her charming, down-to-earth self explaining how the Irish like to enjoy the festivities by way of a lock-in down the local.

She may not be a singer as we know her, but she gets serious kudos for trying, and Fallon’s attempt at our notoriously-difficult-to emulate accent isn’t half bad either.

It’s Christmas, so watch the below and listen for yourself: