Dr Hugh Shields grew up in Belfast. His mother and father both liked singing and were familiar with children’s street rhymes and songs. After a secondary education at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution, he went on to study at Trinity College Dublin (TCD). He graduated in 1952 with a first-class BA in modern languages and literature. He later returned to lecture at TCD, principally in mediaeval French literature, and became a fellow of the college. Hugh first encountered traditional folksong as part of living community culture in 1953, when he spent a year teaching in Coleraine in north Derry. There he formed a lasting friendship with singer Eddie Butcher of Magilligan. This experience, combined with his extensive field collecting, led him to research on the traditional song of Ireland, Britain, and Europe, and deepened his professional interest in medieval culture and popular art. He published books, articles, and sound recordings on the subject of traditional song. His study, Narrative Singing in Ireland: Lays, Ballads, Come-all-yes and Other Songs (1993), has become a standard work on the subject.