On the fourth of July, 1 806
We set sail from the sweet cove of Cork
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
For the ground city hall of New York
It was wonderful craft
She was rigged fore and aft
And oh' how the wild wind drove over
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 bones
We had five million hogs, and six million dogs
Seven million barrels of Porter
We had eight million bails of old nanny goats'tails
In the hold of The Irish Rover

There was awl Mickey Coote, who played hard on his flute
When the ladies lined up for a set
He was tootlin' with skill, for each sparkling quadrille
Though the dancers were fluther'd and bet
With his smart witty talk, he was cook of the walk
And he rolled dames under and over
They all knew at the glance, when he took up his stance
That he sailed in The Irish Rover

Three was Barney McGee, from the Banks of the Lee
There was Hogan from County Tyrone
There was Johny McGurke, who was scared stiff of work
And the man from Westmeath called Mallone
There was slugger O'Toole, who was drunk as a rule
and fighting Bill Treacy from Dower
And Your man Mick McKanne, from the Banks of the Bann
Was the skipper on The Irish Rover

We had sailed seven years
When the measles broke out
And the ship lost its way in the fog
And that whole of the crew
Was reduced down the 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
Belfast Food

[1454]