Irish Rover by Off Kilter Lyrics
In the year of our lord 1806, we set sail from the fair cove of Cork
We were bound far away with a cargo of bricks for the fine City Hall of New York
And our very fine craft, she was rigged fore and aft
And oh how the wild winds drove her
She had twenty three masts and withstood several blasts
And we called her The Irish Rover
There was Barney McGee from the banks of Dundee, there was Hogan from County Tyrone
And a chap called McGurk 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 Treacy from Dover
There was Dooley from Claire who was strong as a bear and the skipper of the Irish Rover
We had one million bales of old billygoat tails, we had two million buckets of stone
We had three million sides of old blind horses hides, we had four million packets of bones
We had five million hogs, six million dogs, seven million barrels of porter
We had eight million bags of the best Sligo rags in the hold of the Irish Rover
We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out, and the ship lost her way in the fog
And the whole of the crew was reduced unto two, ‘twas meself and the Captain’s old dog
Then the ship struck a rock – terrible shock. And then she heeled right over
Turned nine times around and the poor old dog was drowned
I’m the last of the Irish Rover
Yeah
We were bound far away with a cargo of bricks for the fine City Hall of New York
And our very fine craft, she was rigged fore and aft
And oh how the wild winds drove her
She had twenty three masts and withstood several blasts
And we called her The Irish Rover
There was Barney McGee from the banks of Dundee, there was Hogan from County Tyrone
And a chap called McGurk 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 Treacy from Dover
There was Dooley from Claire who was strong as a bear and the skipper of the Irish Rover
We had one million bales of old billygoat tails, we had two million buckets of stone
We had three million sides of old blind horses hides, we had four million packets of bones
We had five million hogs, six million dogs, seven million barrels of porter
We had eight million bags of the best Sligo rags in the hold of the Irish Rover
We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out, and the ship lost her way in the fog
And the whole of the crew was reduced unto two, ‘twas meself and the Captain’s old dog
Then the ship struck a rock – terrible shock. And then she heeled right over
Turned nine times around and the poor old dog was drowned
I’m the last of the Irish Rover
Yeah