Irish Rover
Nathan Carter Lyrics

In the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and six
It was 1806 when the events of this story took place.

We set sail from the sweet cove of Cork
The journey started in Cork, a coastal town in Ireland.

Ah we were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
The ship was carrying bricks as cargo.

For the grand City Hall of New York
The bricks were being transported to build the City Hall of New York.

Was a wonderful craft she was rigged fore-and-aft
The ship was a magnificent vessel and had a fore-and-aft rigging.

And how the wild winds drove her
The ship was at the mercy of the strong winds.

She stood several blasts, she had twenty seven masts
Despite the rough winds, the ship withstood many storms with its twenty-seven masts.

And they called her the Irish Rover
This ship was known as the Irish Rover.

We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags
Besides bricks, the ship also carried one million bags of high-quality Sligo rags.

We had two million barrels of stones
The cargo also included two million barrels of stones.

Ah we had three million bales of old nanny goats′ tails
The ship was carrying three million bales of old nanny goats' tails.

We had four million barrels of bones
It also had four million barrels of bones.

We had five million hogs, six billion dogs
Additionally, the ship carried five million hogs and six billion dogs.

Seven million barrels of porter
The cargo also included seven million barrels of porter.

We had eight million sides of blind horses' hides
Lastly, the hold had eight million sides of blind horses' hides.

In the hold of the Irish Rover
All of these items were stored in the hold of the Irish Rover.

There was Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee
The crew included Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee river.

There was Hogan from County Tyrone
Hogan from County Tyrone was also part of the crew.

There was Jimmy McGurk who was scared stiff of work
Jimmy McGurk, who was known to be lazy, was also on board.

And your man from Westmeath called Malone
Malone from Westmeath was another member of the crew.

There was Slugger O′Toole who was drunk as a rule
Slugger O'Toole was a crew member who was usually drunk.

And fighting Bill Tracey from Dover
Bill Tracey, who was known for fighting, joined as well.

And your man Mick McCann from the banks of the Bann
Mick McCann, from the banks of the Bann river, was the captain of the Irish Rover.

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
The Irish Rover had been at sea for seven years when the measles broke out among the crew.

Our ship lost its way in the fog
During the journey, the ship lost its direction due to poor visibility in the fog.

And the whale of the crew was reduced down to two
As a result of the disease and other accidents, only two crew members were left.

Was meself and the captain's old dog
The only survivors were the artist and the captain's old dog.

Then the ship struck a rock, now Lord what a shock
Soon after, the ship hit a rock, which was a terrible shock.

The boat it turned right over
The ship capsized.

It turned nine times around, and the poor old dog was drowned
The ship revolved nine times before sinking, and unfortunately, the captain's old dog drowned.

I'm the last of the Irish Rover
The artist claims to be the last surviving crew member of the Irish Rover.