Dublin Pub Songs and Poems

Famous Dublin Songs

The Irish Rover

On the fourth of July,eighteen hundred and six,
We set sail from the the sweet cove of Cork.
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks,
For the grand city hall in New York.
'Twas a wonderful craft,she was rigged fore and aft
And how the wild wind drove her.
She stood several blasts,she had twenty-seven masts
And we called her the Irish Rover.

So fare thee well my own true love,I'm going far from you.
And I'll swear by the stars above,forever I'll be true to you.
Though as I part it breaks my heart,yet when this trip is over,
I'll come back again in true Irish style
Aboard the Irish Rover.

We had one million bags of the beat Sligo rage,
We had two million barrels of stone,
We had three million aids of ould blind horses hides,
We had four million barrels of bone.
We had five million hogs,we had six million dogs,
We had seven million barrels of porter.
We had eight million bales of ould nanny goats tails.
On board the Irish Rover.

There was ould Mickey Coote who played hard on his flute
when the ladies lined up for a set.
He would tootle with skill for each sparkling quadrille
'till the dancers were fluthered and bet.
With his smart witty talk he was cock o'the walk,
as he rowled the dames under and over.
When he took up his stance they all knew at a glance
that he sailed on the Irish Rover.

There was Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee,
There was Hogan from county Tyrone,
And Johnny McGuirk Who was scared stiff of work
and a chap from Westmeath named 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 on board the Irish Rover.

For a sailor it's always a bothering life,
it's so lonesome by night and by day.
That he longs for the shore and a charming young wife
who will melt all his troubles away.
All the noise and the stout swilling poteen and stout
for him soon is done and over,
Of the love of a maid he is never afraid
That old salt from the Irish Rover.

We had sailed seven years when tile measles broke out.
Our ship lost it's way in the fog.
Then the whale of a crew was reduced down to two,
myself and the captain's old dog.
The ship struck,Oh Lord ,what a shock,
The boat was turned right over.
Whirled nine times round,then the ould dog was drowned.
I'm the last of the Irish Rover.

Written by JM Crofts,now best known in the raucous version
sung by Shane McGowan (of the Pogues) and Ronnie Drew
(of the Dubliners).