Irish Rover

On the 4th of July 1806

We set sail from the Cove of Cork

We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks

For the Grand City Hall in New York

'Twas a elegant craft that was rigged fore and aft

And oh how the wild wind drove her

She could stand several blasts and had 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 stone

We had three million sides of old blind horses hide

We had four million barrels of bone

We had five million hogs, six million dogs

Seven million barrels of powder

We had eight million bales of old nanny goats' tails

In the hold of the Irish Rover

There was Maggie McGee from the banks of the Lee

And there was Hogan from County Tyrone

There was Charlie McGurk who was scared stiff of work

And a chap from Westmeath called Malone

And there was Sluggery O'Toole who was drunk as a rule

And fighting Bill Tracy round over

And 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 its way in the fog

Then the whole of the crew was reduced down to two

Just meself and the captain's old dog

And the ship struck a rock, oh Lord what a shock

The boat it was flipped right over

Turned nine times around and the old dog was drowned

I'm the last of the Irish Rover