The Irish Descendants have released many critically acclaimed albums, were named Best Roots/Traditional Artists at the East Coast Music Awards, won a Juno Award, signed a world-wide record deal with a major label, received numerous gold records (with another on its way) and sold out concerts right across Canada and the U. S.Traditional Newfoundland artists and Irish music.
The Irish Descendants have had a long career and many successes. The future could not be brighter for the band that only gets better. Few bands last from one decade to the next, even fewer continue to make great music, and none continue to attract new fans the way The Irish Descendants do.
Irish Rover
The Irish Descendants Lyrics
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We set sail from the Coal Quay of Cork
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
For the grand City Hall in New York
We'd an elegant craft, it was rigged 'fore and aft
And how the trade winds drove her
She had twenty-three masts and she stood several blasts
And they called her the Irish Rover
There was Hogan from County Tyrone
There was Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work
And a man from Westmeath called Malone
There was Slugger O'Toole who was drunk as a rule
And fighting Bill Tracy from Dover
And your man Mick McCann, from the banks of the Bann
Was the skipper on the Irish Rover
We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags
We had two million barrels of stones
We had three million sides of old blind horses' hides
We had four million barrels of bones
We had five million hogs and six million dogs
And seven million barrels of porter
We had eight million bales of old nanny goats' tails
In the hold of the Irish Rover
We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out
And our ship lost her way in the fog
And the whole of the crew was reduced down to two
'Twas meself and the captain's old dog
Then the ship struck a rock; oh Lord what a shock
The bulkhead was turned right over
We turned nine times around - then the poor old dog was drowned
Now I'm the last of the Irish Rover
The Irish Rover is a song about a group of Irish sailors who set sail from Cork with a cargo of bricks for the City Hall in New York. The elegant craft was a marvel of engineering with twenty-three masts that stood several blasts in the open sea. The crew is introduced one by one as the song progresses, with each member having a distinct personality. However, despite their differences, they manage to work together to transport a staggering amount of goods, including rags, stones, horse hides, bones, hogs, dogs, porter, and even old nanny goats' tails.
Line by Line Meaning
In the year of our Lord, eighteen hundred and six,
This happened in 1806 according to the Christian calendar.
We set sail from the Coal Quay of Cork
We left the Coal Quay of Cork by ship.
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
Our ship was carrying bricks as cargo.
For the grand City Hall in New York
The bricks were intended to be used in the construction of New York City Hall.
We'd an elegant craft, it was rigged 'fore and aft
Our ship was a well-designed vessel with sails both at the front and back.
And how the trade winds drove her
The ship was propelled by strong trade winds.
She had twenty-three masts and she stood several blasts
The ship had a total of twenty-three large poles supporting its sails and was able to withstand fierce gales.
And they called her the Irish Rover
Our ship was well-known and called by the name 'Irish Rover'.
There was Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee
One of the crew members was Barney McGee, who hailed from a place near the Lee river.
There was Hogan from County Tyrone
Another member of the crew was Hogan, from the county of Tyrone in Ireland.
There was Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work
Johnny McGurk was not brave enough to work hard.
And a man from Westmeath called Malone
Malone, a man from Westmeath, was also one of the crew members.
There was Slugger O'Toole who was drunk as a rule
Another member of the crew was Slugger O'Toole, who often drank too much.
And fighting Bill Tracy from Dover
There was a crew member named Bill Tracy, from the town of Dover, who was known for his fighting.
And your man Mick McCann, from the banks of the Bann
The captain of the ship was Mick McCann, who came from a place near the Bann river.
Was the skipper on the Irish Rover
Mick McCann was the captain or skipper of the Irish Rover.
We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags
The ship was carrying a million bags of high-quality woolen cloth from Sligo, Ireland.
We had two million barrels of stones
There were two million barrels of stones on board the ship.
We had three million sides of old blind horses' hides
The ship had three million sides of dried hides obtained from blind horses.
We had four million barrels of bones
There were four million barrels filled with animal bones on the ship.
We had five million hogs and six million dogs
The ship was carrying five million pigs and six million dogs.
And seven million barrels of porter
There were seven million barrels of porter beer on board the ship.
We had eight million bales of old nanny goats' tails
The ship was loaded with eight million bundles of dried tails from old female goats.
In the hold of the Irish Rover
All these items were stored in the ship's hold, or cargo area.
We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out
The ship had been at sea for seven long years when an outbreak of measles occurred.
And our ship lost her way in the fog
Due to the fog, the ship got lost and could not navigate properly.
And the whole of the crew was reduced down to two
Everyone on the ship except for two members was affected by the outbreak of measles.
'Twas meself and the captain's old dog
Only the captain's old dog and I were left on the ship.
Then the ship struck a rock; oh Lord what a shock
The ship collided with a rock, which was a sudden and severe shock.
The bulkhead was turned right over
The divider wall inside the ship overturned due to the impact of the collision.
We turned nine times around - then the poor old dog was drowned
As a result of the disaster, the ship turned upside down and rolled around nine times, and the captain's old dog drowned.
Now I'm the last of the Irish Rover
I am the only survivor of the Irish Rover's tragic end.
Contributed by Elliot P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.