The Ill-Fated Voyage Behind The Pogues and The Dubliners’ “The Irish Rover”

The Irish Rover was a majestic vessel sailing the Atlantic from New York City east to Cork, Ireland. Immortalized in an Irish folk song, the original ship had 23 masts, which gradually shifted in eminence as the song was reimagined throughout the decades.

When the Dubliners and the Pogues took on “The Irish Rover” in 1987, they gave it 27 masts and delivered one of the most memorable versions of the ill-fated voyage.

‘The Wild Wind Drove Her’

Originally dated to 1937 or 1938 in a manuscript in the Irish National Folklore Collection, the tale was retold five decades later when the Pogues’ Shane MacGowan and the Dubliners’ Ronnie Drew traded off verses around its doomed journey.

As the song goes, the ship set sail long after St. Patrick’s Day on the Fourth of July, 1806. Headed towards Cork from New York City, everything starts out as planned with all the barrels of bones, stones, and old blind horses in tow.

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 27 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

Throughout the song, some of the men aboard the Irish Rover are introduced—the flute-playing Mickey Coote, Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee, Hogan from County Tyrone, Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work, a man from Westmeath called Malone, the drunk Slugger O’Toole, and more.

There was awl Mickey Coote who played hard on his flute
When the ladies lined up for a set
He was tootin’ 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
And 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 Treacy from Dover
And your man, Mick MacCann from the banks of the Bann
Was the skipper of the Irish Rover

[RELATED: The Pogues Reunite for Moving Performance of the Band’s “The Parting Glass” During Shane MacGowan’s Funeral]

An Ill-fated Voyage

By the end of their voyage, they’re all reduced to two after a measles outbreak with the narrator and the captain’s dog surviving.

When the ship strikes a rock and sinks, the captain’s dog drowns, and the narrator is the last of 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
And I’m the last of the Irish Rover

Released on the Dubliners 1987 double album 25 Years Celebration, the song went to No. 1 in Ireland and peaked at No. 43 on the UK Singles chart. 

Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images