The Irish Navy
The Dubliners Lyrics


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The Clнona, the Meabh and the Mucha
The pride of the Irish navy
When the Captain he blows on his whistle
All the sailors go home for their tea

While the army is off in the Kongo
In Cyprus or some foreign parts
Our navy is strained to the limits
Deploying it's nautical acts
One day from the Russian invader
Defending our very odd fish
We found it was just the red herring
From the signals we got from the cis'

The Clнona, the Meabh and the Mucha
The pride of the Irish navy
When the Captain he blows on his whistle
All the sailors go home for their tea

Each year they go on manoeuvres
To prepare for defence they are keen
Sometimes it's the Lakes of Killarney
More often the pond in the Green
The canal it could be of assistance
In defending our own holy ground
But due to proposed legislation
We'll have to sail all the way round

The Clнona, the Meabh and the Mucha
The pride of the Irish navy
When the Captain he blows on his whistle
All the sailors go home for their tea

We are a seafaring nation
Defence of our land is a right
We'd fight like the devil all morning
Provided we're home by the night

The Clнona, the Meabh and the Mucha
The pride of the Irish navy




When the Captain he blows on his whistle
All the sailors go home for their tea

Overall Meaning

The Dubliners' song "The Irish Navy" is a humorous take on the Irish naval force. The opening lines of the song, "The Clнona, the Meabh and the Mucha, the pride of the Irish navy" sets the tone for the rest of the song. The song notes that while the Irish army was deployed in the Kongo or Cyprus, the Irish navy was strained to the limits, deploying its nautical acts in defense of the country's holy ground, sometimes defending itself against imagined Russian invaders.


The song then goes on the following verses to poke fun at the Irish navy's maneuvers and the legislature's proposed legislation that would force the force to sail all the way round instead of using the canal as an option. The song ends on an amusing note, "We're a seafaring nation, Defense of our land is a right; We'd fight like the devil all morning, Provided we're home by the night."


Overall, "The Irish Navy" is a satirical tribute to the Irish navy's contribution to the country.


Line by Line Meaning

The Clнona, the Meabh and the Mucha
These ships are the main vessels of the Irish navy


The pride of the Irish navy
These three ships are a source of pride for the Irish navy


When the Captain he blows on his whistle
The sailors stop their work and go home for a break when the captain signals them to do so


All the sailors go home for their tea
The sailors take a break from their work for a tea time


While the army is off in the Kongo
The army is deployed in Congo or some other foreign place


In Cyprus or some foreign parts
The army is deployed in Cyprus or some other foreign place


Our navy is strained to the limits
The Irish navy is under a lot of pressure and operating at maximum capacity


Deploying it's nautical acts
The navy performs its duties on the water


One day from the Russian invader
The navy expects an attack from Russia


Defending our very odd fish
The navy is responsible for protecting Irish fish


We found it was just the red herring
The navy discovered that their expectation of attack from Russia was a false alarm


From the signals we got from the cis'
The navy received a warning from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) about the supposed Russian attack


Each year they go on manoeuvres
The navy conducts training exercises every year


To prepare for defence they are keen
The navy is eager to be prepared for any potential threats


Sometimes it's the Lakes of Killarney
The navy conducts training exercises in the Lakes of Killarney at times


More often the pond in the Green
The navy conducts training exercises in a pond in the Green region more often


The canal it could be of assistance
The canal can potentially help the navy defend the Irish land


In defending our own holy ground
The navy acts to defend the Irish land


But due to proposed legislation
New laws may affect the use of the canal for navy operations


We'll have to sail all the way round
If the proposed legislation passes, the navy will need to take a longer route around the canal


We are a seafaring nation
Ireland has a long history of being a nation that is heavily involved with the sea


Defence of our land is a right
It is the right of Irish people to defend their land from potential threats


We'd fight like the devil all morning
Irish people are willing to fight fiercely if it means protecting their homeland


Provided we're home by the night
However, Irish people do not want to be away from their homes and families for too long




Contributed by Hailey N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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