The Irish Rover: quick facts
- The song: a traditional Irish ballad about an enormous ship, its ridiculous cargo and its even more ridiculous crew, which sails from Cork for New York and doesn’t make it.
- The famous version: The Dubliners and The Pogues, released in 1987.
- Charts: number one in Ireland and number eight in the UK.
- Why it was made: to celebrate The Dubliners’ 25th anniversary.
Two generations of Irish music in one video: the bearded folk legends of The Dubliners and the punk-folk chaos of The Pogues, singing one of the most rollicking songs in the Irish tradition. In 1987 it went to number one in Ireland, and it has been played at every Irish wedding, wake and St Patrick’s Day since.
What is The Irish Rover about?
The Irish Rover is a tall tale. It tells of a magnificent sailing ship with an absurd number of masts, carrying a cargo so huge it’s ridiculous, and a crew of colourful characters with names to match. The ship sails from Cork bound for New York, and things go very, very wrong. By the end of the song, the narrator is the only one left, along with the ship’s dog, who doesn’t make it either.
It’s a classic of Irish comic exaggeration, and its fast, bouncing rhythm makes it impossible not to sing along.
The Dubliners meet The Pogues
By 1987, The Dubliners had been going for 25 years. Formed in O’Donoghue’s pub in Dublin in the early 1960s, they had become the most famous Irish folk band in the world, with the gravel voice of Ronnie Drew and the hits “Seven Drunken Nights” and “Whiskey in the Jar”.
The Pogues, led by Shane MacGowan, were a new generation who had grown up on The Dubliners’ records and turned Irish folk into something loud and wild. Getting the two bands together to record “The Irish Rover” for The Dubliners’ anniversary was a stroke of genius.
The single went to number one in Ireland and number eight in the UK, and it took The Dubliners back onto Top of the Pops, 20 years after they had first appeared on the show with “Seven Drunken Nights”.
Remembering Ronnie and Shane
Two of the great voices on the record are gone now. Ronnie Drew died in 2008 and Shane MacGowan in 2023, and both were given huge send-offs in Dublin. Watching them trade lines in the video above is a reminder of just how much character Irish music had in those years. Read more about Shane MacGowan and Fairytale of New York.
The Irish Rover FAQ
Who sang The Irish Rover?
It’s a traditional song recorded by many artists, but the most famous version is by The Dubliners and The Pogues, from 1987.
Where was the Irish Rover sailing to?
From Cork to New York.
Did The Irish Rover reach number one?
Yes, in Ireland in 1987. It reached number eight in the UK.
More Irish music
- Whiskey in the Jar: from Dublin pubs to Metallica
- The best Irish music for St Patrick’s Day
- The two Galway Girls
- Ireland’s Eurovision winners
- On Raglan Road
Featured image: still from The Dubliners’ official YouTube channel.
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