- In the year of our lord eighteen hundred and six
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 was she rigged fore and aft
And Oh how the trade winds drove her
She had twenty three masts and she stood serveral blasts
And they called her the Irish Rover
- There was Barney Magee from the banks of the Lee
There was Hogan from County Tyrone
There was Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work
And a chap from Westmeath called Mallone
There was Slugger O'T oole who was as a rule
And fighting Bill Tracy from Dover
And your man Mick Mcann from the banks of the Bann
Was the skipper of the Irish Rover
- We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags
We had two million barrels of bone
We had three million bales of old nanny goat tails
We had four million barrels of stone
We had five million hogs and six million dogs
And seven million barrels of porter
We had eight million sides of old blind horse hides
In the hold of the Irish Rover
- We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out
And our ship lost it's way in a fog
And the whole of the crew was reduced down to two,
Twas meself and the captains old dog
Then the ship struck a rock, Oh lord what a shock
And nearly tumbled over
Turned nine times around, and the poor dog was drowned
I'm the last of the Irish Rover
