Irish Rover
Fiddler's Green Lyrics

On the fourth of July eighteen hundred and six
On July 4th, 1806, we embarked from Cork's docks

We set sail from the sweet cove of Cork
We embarked from Cork's dock

We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
We were hauling bricks

For the grad city hall in New York
To be used in building City Hall in New York

'T was a wonderful craft, she was rigged fore-and-aft
She was an impressive ship, rigged fore-and-aft

And oh, how the wild winds drove her
She braved some serious wind gusts

She got several blasts, she had twenty-seven masts
She survived multiple storms, was a large ship with 27 masts

And they called her the Irish Rover
Her name was the Irish Rover

We had one million bales of the best Sligo rags
We had one million quality Sligo rags in our cargo

We had two million barrels of rum
We had two million barrels of rum in our cargo

We had three million sides of old blind horses hides
We had three million sides of old horse hides in our cargo

We had four million barrels of bones
We had four million barrels of bones in our cargo

We had five million hogs, six million dogs
We had five million hogs and six million dogs in our cargo

Seven million barrels of porter
We had seven million barrels of porter beer in our cargo

We had eight million bails of old nanny goats' tails
We had eight million nanny goat tails in our cargo

In the hold of the Irish Rover
All of the above mentioned was kept in the ship's hold

There was awl Mickey Coote who playes hard on his flute
A skilled flutist Mickey Coote was aboard

When the ladies lined up for his set
Ladies waited in lines for his musical performance

He would tootle with skill for each sparkling quadrille
He played with skill for each quadrille dance

Though the dancers were fluther'd and bet
Though the dancers were tired and exhausted

With his sparse witty talk he was cock of the walk
With his humorous remarks he was the center of attention

As he rolled the dames under and over
As he twirled and flipped the ladies during their dance

And they knew at a glance when he took up his stance
They knew to start dancing when he took up his position

They sailed in the Irish Rover
They danced aboard the Irish Rover

There was Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee
Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee was aboard

There was Hogan from County Tyrone
Hogan from County Tyrone was aboard

There was Jimmy McGurk who was scarred stiff of work
Jimmy McGurk who had worked hard was aboard

And a man from Westmeath called Malone
Malone from Westmeath was aboard

There was Slugger O'Toole who was drunk as a rule
Slugger O'Toole was drunk most of the time

And fighthing Bill Tracey from Dover
Bill Tracey was a fighter from Dover

And your man Mick McCann from the banks of the Bann
Mick McCann, from the banks of the Bann, was the captain

Was the skipper of the Irish Rover
Mick McCann was the captain of the Irish Rover

We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out
We were sailing for seven years when measles broke out

And the ship lost it's way in a fog
The ship got lost in a fog

And that whale of the crew was reduced down to two
Our crew got reduced to only two members

Just myself and the captain's old dog
Only myself and the captain's old dog were left

Then the ship struck a rock, oh Lord, what a shock!
We hit a rock and it was an unpleasant surprise!

The bulkhead was turned right over
The bulkhead flipped upside down

Turned nine times around, and the poor dog was drowned
The upside-down section of our ship turned nine times and the captain's dog drowned

I'm the last of the Irish Rover
I am the only survivor of the Irish Rover