The Irish RoverWe set sail from the coal quay 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 trade winds drove her She could stand several blasts 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 Instrumental Verse 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 And nearly tumbled over Turned nine times around and the poor old dog was drowned I'm the last of the Irish Rover (Repeat 2nd pair of lines and end) |