Irish Rover
The McCaffrey Folk Singers Lyrics
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We set sail from the sweet cove of Cork
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
For the grand city hall in New York
T'was a wonderful craft, she was rigged fore and aft
And oh how the wild wind drove her
She stood several blasts, she had twenty-seven masts
And they 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' hides
We had four million barrels of bone
We had five million hogs, six million dogs
Seven million barrels of porter
We had eight million bails of old nanny gold tails
In the hold of the Irish Rover
There was old Mickey Coote who played hard on his flute
when the ladies lined up for a set
he was tootin' with skill For each sparking quadrille
Though the dancers were fluther'd and bet
With his smart witty talk he was cock of the walk
He rolled the dames under and over
They all knew at a glance when he took up his stance
That he sailed on the Irish Rover
There was Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee
There was Hogan from County Tyrone
There was Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work
And your man from the West Meath called Malone
The was slugger O'Toole who was drunk as a rule
And fighting Bill Tracey from Dover
And your man Mick McCann from the banks of the Bann
Was the skipper of the Irish Rover
We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out
And the ship lost its way in the fog
And that whale of a crew was reduced down to two
Just myself and the captain's old dog
Then the ship struck a rock oh Lord what a shock
The bulkhead was turned right over
Turned nine times around and the poor old dog was drowned
And the last of the Irish Rover
The McCaffrey Folk Singers' "Irish Rover" is a nostalgic ballad that tells a tale of a ship setting sail on the fourth of July in 1806 from the sweet cove of Cork with a cargo of bricks for the grand city hall in New York. The ship was a magnificent craft, rigged fore and aft with twenty-seven masts that could withstand several blasts of the wild wind. It was called the Irish Rover. The cargo on the ship was vast, from one million bags of the best Sligo rags to eight million bales of old nanny gold tails in the hold of the ship. The singer sings about the diverse and eccentric crew on the ship, including Mickey Coote, who played the flute, Barney McGee, and Hogan from County Tyrone, among others. The ship sailed for seven years on the high seas, but, unfortunately, the measles struck, and the ship lost its way in the fog. The number of the crew dwindled down to two, the singer and the captain's old dog. Then the ship struck a rock, turning nine times around, and the poor old dog drowned. This was the end of the Irish Rover.
The song is a wistful and comic story covering centuries of Ireland's influence on the history of shipping and the men and women who sailed upon them. The lyrics provide an insight into the dangerous and harsh conditions that seafarers in the past faced while also highlighting the fun and audacious characters that pioneered the Irish shipping industry. The Irish Rover song captures Ireland's folklore, and its melody and rhythm invite the listener to join in, transcending time and place.
Line by Line Meaning
On the fourth of July 1806
This story took place on July 4th, 1806.
We set sail from the sweet cove of Cork
We left the pleasant harbor of Cork on our ship.
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
Our ship was carrying a load of bricks.
For the grand city hall in New York
The bricks were intended to be used for the construction of the impressive New York City Hall.
T'was a wonderful craft, she was rigged fore and aft
Our ship was magnificent and well-equipped, with sails both at the front and at the back.
And oh how the wild wind drove her
The powerful wind was pushing the ship at full speed.
She stood several blasts, she had twenty-seven masts
The ship withstood and overcame strong winds and had an impressive 27 masts.
And they called her the Irish Rover
Everyone referred to our ship as the proud Irish Rover.
We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags
Our ship was carrying one million bags of excellent cloth from Sligo.
We had two million barrels of stone
The ship was carrying a huge load of two million barrels of stone.
We had three million sides of old blind horses' hides
We had three million old hides from blind horses on board.
We had four million barrels of bone
Our ship carried four million barrels of bones.
We had five million hogs, six million dogs
We had an enormous amount of five million hogs and six million dogs on the ship.
Seven million barrels of porter
Our ship also carried seven million barrels of porter.
We had eight million bails of old nanny gold tails
Additionally, we had an ample amount of eight million tails from mature female goats.
In the hold of the Irish Rover
All of these things were stored below deck on the Irish Rover.
There was old Mickey Coote who played hard on his flute
There was a man named Mickey Coote who played his flute masterfully.
when the ladies lined up for a set
The ladies would gather up and eagerly await Mickey's performance.
he was tootin' with skill For each sparking quadrille
Mickey played his flute with incredible ability for each and every dance.
Though the dancers were fluther'd and bet
Despite being in the heat of dancing, the dancers came to a stop when Mickey played his flute.
With his smart witty talk he was cock of the walk
Mickey's slick talking made him the most desired man around.
He rolled the dames under and over
Mickey was so skilled that he could make any lady fall for him with ease.
They all knew at a glance when he took up his stance
When Mickey took his place in the lineup, everyone could tell he was about to give an unforgettable performance.
That he sailed on the Irish Rover
It was inevitable that everybody would know that Mickey came from the Irish Rover.
There was Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee
Another man on the ship was Barney McGee, hailing from the River Lee.
There was Hogan from County Tyrone
Another man on the ship was Hogan, who was from County Tyrone.
There was Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work
Johnny McGurk, who hailed from the docks, was terrified of any kind of labor.
And your man from the West Meath called Malone
Malone, a man from West Meath, was also part of the crew.
The was slugger O'Toole who was drunk as a rule
There was a man named O'Toole who was habitually drunk and ready to fight.
And fighting Bill Tracey from Dover
Another tough guy on the ship was Bill Tracey, a fighter from Dover.
And your man Mick McCann from the banks of the Bann
The captain of the Irish Rover was Mick McCann, originally from the River Bann.
Was the skipper of the Irish Rover
Mick McCann was responsible for the Irish Rover and it was up to him to keep it running smoothly.
We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out
After seven whole years of sailing on the Irish Rover, we experienced a measles outbreak.
And the ship lost its way in the fog
As we sailed through dense fog, we ended up losing our way.
And that whale of a crew was reduced down to two
The once extensive crew was now down to just two members.
Just myself and the captain's old dog
Only myself and the captain's elderly dog remained on board.
Then the ship struck a rock oh Lord what a shock
The ship unexpectedly hit a hard rock, causing immense damage.
The bulkhead was turned right over
The ship's bulkhead was turned completely upside-down.
Turned nine times around and the poor old dog was drowned
The ship spun around nine times and, sadly, the captain's old dog perished.
And the last of the Irish Rover
At this point, the Irish Rover was no more and had reached its end.
Contributed by Vivian D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.