on the fourth of july 1806 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 twas 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 stones we had three million sides of old blind horses hides we had four million barrels of bones we had five million hogs six million dogs seven million barrels of porter we had eight million sides of old nanny goate tails in the hold of the irish rover there was awl mickey coote who played hard on his flute and the ladies lined up for a set he would tootle with skill for each sparkling quadrille though the dancers were fluther d and bet with his smart witty talk he was cock of the walk as he rolled the dames under and over they all knew at a glance when he took up his stance that he sailed in 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 a man 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 mccann from the banks of the bann was the skipper of the irish rover for a sailor its always a bother in life it s so lonesome by night and by day that he longs for the shore and a charming young whore who will melt all his troubles away oh the noise and the rout swillin poiteen and stout for him soon the torment s over of the love of a maid he is never afraid an old salt from 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 i m the last of the irish rover