In the year of our Lord 1806
We set sail from the sweet cove of Cork
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
For the grand City Hall of New York
‘Twas a wonderful craft
It was rigged fore and aft
And how the wild wind drove her
It stood several blasts
It had twenty-three masts
And we called her the “Irish Rover”
There was Barney McGee
From the banks of the Lee
There was Hogan from County Tyrone
There was Johnny McGurk
Who was scared stiff of work
And a chap from Westmeath named “Malone”
There was Sluggеr O’Toole
Who was drunk as a rule
And fighting Billy Brady from Dover
Thеre was Dolan from Clare
As strong as a bear
He was skipper of the Irish Rover
We had one million bags
Of the best Sligo rags
We had two million barrels of stones
We had three million sides
Of oul’ blind horses’ hides
We had four million barrels of bones
We had five million hogs
We had six million dogs
We had seven million barrels of porter
We had eight million bales
Of oul’ nanny goats’ tails
Onboard of the Irish Rover
We had sailed for seven years
When the measles broke out
And our ship lost its way in a fog
And the whale of a crew
Was reduced down to two
Just meself and the captain’s oul’ dog
The ship struck a rock
Good Lord what a shock!
The boat it turned right over
Wheeled nine times around
Then the oul’ dog was drowned
I’m the last of the Irish Rover
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Dominic Behan Lyrics – The Irish Rover