23 Irish Rover

In the year of the Lord eighteen hundred and six 
we set sail from the Cobh quay of Cork 
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
for the grand city hall in New York
'Twas a wonderful craft, she was rigged fore and aft 
and oh how the wild winds drove her. 
She stood  several blast she had twenty seven mast
and they called her the Irish Rover

We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags
We had two million barrels of stone
There were three million sides of old blind horses hides
-  -   four million barrels of bone
We had five million dogs, -  six million hogs
Seven million barrels of porter
We had eight million bales of old nanny goats tails
In the hold of the Irish Rover

There was Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee
There was Hogan from County Tyrone
There was Johnny McGuirk who was scared stiff of work
And a chap 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 Mc Cann from the banks of the Bann 
Was the skipper of the Irish Rover

We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out 
and our ship lost it's way in the fog
Then the whole of the crew was reduced down to two 
just myself and the captain's old dog
The ship struck a rock, oh Lord what a shock 
the boat it was turned right over
It turned nine times around and the poor auld dog was drowned 
I'm the last of the Irish Rover