The Irish Rover Lyrics

The Irish Rover lyrics

On the fourth of July eighteen hundred and six 

 We set sail from the sweet cove of Cork 

 We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks 

 For the grand city hall in New York 

 ´Twas an elegant craft, she was rigged fore and aft 

 And how the wild wind drove her 

 She could stand a great blast in her twenty seven masts 

 And we called her 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 old blind horses hides 

 We had four million barrels of bone 

 We had five million hogs, six million dogs 

 Seven million barrels of porter 

 We had eight million bales of old nanny goats tails 

 In the hold of the Irish Rover 

  

 There was Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee 

 There was Hogan from County Tyrone 

 There was Johnny McGuirk who was scared stiff of work 

 And a chap from Westmeath called Malone 

 There was Slugger O´Toole who was drunk as a rule 

 And fighting Bill Tracy from Dover 

 There was Dolan from Clare, just as strong as a bear 

 All aboard on the Irish Rover 

  

 We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out 

 And our ship lost it´s way in the fog 

 Then the whole of the crew was reduced down to two 

 Just myself and the captain´s old dog 

 The ship struck a rock, Lord what a shock 

 The boat it flipped right over 

 Turned nine times around and the poor old dog was drowned 

 I´m the last of the Irish Rover