The Irish Rover
Epic Journey: The Irish Rover's Tale of Adventure and Misfortune
Lyrics
In the year of our Lord Eighteen Hundred and Six
In the year 1806
We set sail from the coal quay at Cork
We departed from the coal quay in Cork
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
We sailed away carrying a load of bricks
For the grand city hall in New York
Transporting cargo for the grand city hall in New York
We'd an elegant craft she was rigged fore and aft
Our ship was beautifully crafted with sails at the front and back
And how the trade winds drove her
We were guided by favorable trade winds
She had twenty three masts and she stood sev'ral blasts
The ship had twenty-three masts and withstood various storms
And they called her the Irish Rover
The ship was known as the Irish Rover
There was Barney Magee from the banks of the Lee
Barney Magee hailed from the banks of the Lee River
There was Hogan from County Tyrone
Hogan was from County Tyrone
There was Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work,
Johnny McGurk avoided work
And a chap from Westmeath named Malone.
Malone, from Westmeath, was also on board
There was Slugger O'Toole who was drunk as a rule
Slugger O'Toole tended to be drunk, and Bill Tracy was a fighter from Dover
And fighting Bill Tracy from Dover
Mick McCann, from the banks of the Bann River, was the ship's captain
And your man Mick McCann from the banks of the Bann
Was the skipper on the Irish Rover
-We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags
The ship carried one million bags of high-quality Sligo rags
We had two million barrels of bone
Two million barrels of bone
We had three million bales of old nanny goats' tails
Three million bales of old nanny goats' tails
We had four million barrels of stone
Four million barrels of stone
We had five million hogs and six million dogs
Five million hogs and six million dogs
And seven million barrels of porter
Seven million barrels of porter
We had eight million sides of old blind horses' hides
Eight million sides of old blind horses' hides
In the hold of the Irish Rover
All stored in the ship's hold
There was old Mickey Boot who played hard on his flute
Mickey Boot was a skilled flute player who entertained ladies at dances
When the ladies lined up for a set
He would tootle with skill for each sparkling quadrille
He played tunes for dancing
Till the dancers were flutered and beat
Until the dancers were exhausted and beat
With his elegant talk he was cock of the walk
He was confident and charming with the ladies
And he rolled the dames under and over
He danced skillfully with women
When he took up his stance you could tell at a glance
His confidence indicated he belonged to the Irish Rover
That he sailed on the Irish Rover
We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out
After seven years at sea, the crew contracted measles
And our ship lost her way in a fog
The ship lost its way due to fog
And the whole of the crew was reduced down to two
Only two crew members survived: the narrator and the captain's dog
'Twas myself and the captain's old dog
Then the ship struck a rock Oh Lord what a shock
The ship hit a rock causing a major shock
And nearly tumbled over
The ship almost capsized
Turned nine times around then the poor old dog was drowned
The dog drowned after spinning around nine times
I'm the last of the Irish Rover
The narrator claims to be the last survivor of the Irish Rover
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