Rocky Road to Dublin

"Rocky Road to Dublin" is a song written by Irish poet D. K. Gavan in the mid-19th century for English music hall performer Harry Clifton.https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=80986#1480059 It describes a young man's tumultuous journey to Liverpool in England from his home of Tuam, near Galway in western Ireland.
On the first part of his journey, the song's narrator describes charming the local women, but having no success in finding paying work. Upon reaching the city of Dublin, his possessions are stolen and he is mocked for his accent. From there, he endures a dreadful sea journey to Liverpool, where the locals insult him and his Irish nationality. Finally losing his temper, he begins a brawl with his shillelagh, but fares poorly until some fellow Irishmen join in to help him win the fight.
==Factoids==
Off to reap the corn: "Corn" refers metaphorically to wealth; the narrator is saying he's off to seek his fortune.
Hunt the hare: There is speculation that this line might refer to the traditional Irish jig "Hunting the Hare". Another possible connection is an Irish text put to the same tune, whose lyrics are unrelated to the English version, but does tell about a man hunting hares or rabbits."https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=68619#1158476 There appears to be little concrete evidence either way.
Pair of brogues: rough shoes of untanned leather, formerly worn in parts of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands.https://www.lexico.com/definition/brogue
Connaught brogue: the narrator's accent. Connaught (now spelled Connacht) is an area of western Ireland that includes Galway.
Played some hearty rigs: "rig" is an old word meaning "trick" or "prank", with a nautical provenance: as pirates deceive by changing the rig of their vessel, so rig came to mean a trick to deceive, or a frolicsome deception.https://www.bartleby.com/81/14625.html
Shillelagh: a wooden walking stick, often used as a club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty blackthorn stick with a large knob at the top.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shillelagh (This is the "stout blackthorn" alluded to in verse 1.)
==Lyrics==
These lyrics are based on the version released on C-Sides.
In the merry month of June from my home I started 
Left the girls of Tuam so sad and broken hearted 
Saluted Father dear, kissed me darling mother 
Drank a pint of beer, me grief and tears to smother 
Then off to reap the corn, leave where I was born 
Cut a stout blackthorn to banish ghosts and goblins; 
Bought a new pair of brogues, rattlin' o'er the bogs 
Frightenin' all the dogs on the rocky road to Dublin
One two three four five
{Chorus}
Hunt the hare and turn her down the rocky road
And all the way to Dublin, whack fol lol de rah!
In Mullingar that night I rested limbs so weary
Started by daylight my spirits bright and cheery
Took a drop of the pure to keep me heart from sinking;
That's the Paddy's cure whenever he's on for drinking
To see the lassies smile, laughing all the while
At me curious style, 'twould set your heart a bubblin'
Asked if I was hired, wages I required
'Til I was almost tired on the rocky road to Dublin
One two three four five
{Chorus}
In Dublin next arrived, I thought it such a pity
To be so soon deprived a view of that fine city
Then I took a stroll down among the quality
Bundle it was stole there in a neat locality
Something crossed my mind, then I looked behind
No bundle could I find upon my stick a wobblin'
Enquiring for the rogue, said my Connaught brogue
Wasn't much in vogue on the rocky road to Dublin
One two three four five
{Chorus}
From there I got away, me spirits never failing
Landed on the quay just as the ship was sailing
Captain at me roared, said that no room had he
Then I jumped aboard, a cabin found for Paddy
Was down among the pigs, played some hearty rigs
Danced some hearty jigs, the water round me bubbling
Off to Holyhead, wished meself was dead
Or better far instead, on the rocky road to Dublin
One two three four five
{Chorus}
The boys of Liverpool, when we safely landed
Called meself a fool, I could no longer stand it
Blood began to boil, temper I was losing
Poor old Erin's isle they began abusing
"Hurrah me soul!" says I, shillelagh I let fly
Some Galway boys were by and saw I was a-hobblin'
With a loud "Hurray!" joined in the affray
We quickly cleared the way for the rocky road to Dublin
One two three four five
{Chorus 2x}
==Recordings==
==== Streaming/Purchase ====
*Amazon Music
*Amazon Purchase
*Anghami
*Apple Music
*Deezer
*Spotify
*Tidal
====YouTube Videos====
*Music Video
*C-Sides version
====Gig Videos====
*The Whelan's - Dublin (3 Dec 2021)
====Full Band Streams====
*The Longest Johns In Quarantine (after failed intro + love to @El Pony Pisador ) (18 Mar 2020)
*Lockdown Lullabies and Rousing Renditions (15 Apr 2020)
*Welcome to the Live Stream, We've got Fun and Sings! (22 Jul 2020)
*Carry On My Wayward Stream (16 Sep 2020)
*It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Streams-mas (16 Dec 2020)
*Sweet Streams are Made of This (17 Mar 2021)
*Nice Stream Sundae (Wednesday) (1 Sep 2021)
*Stream of Mushroom Soup (A day early to fit around touring) (23 Nov 2021)
*In Space No One Can Hear You Stream (19 Oct 2022)
*Streamship Troopers (15 Mar 2023)
*Ghost in the Mastream (30 Aug 2023)
====Chill Streams====
*JD & Andy Chilltime - 27/01/2020
*JD and Andy Chilltime - 03/02/2020
*Welcome to Chilltown with Andy and JD (23 Mar 2020)
*Roll on up to Chilltown with Andy and JD (30 Mar 2020)
*Roll on down to Chillbury Town! With Andy - 10/04/2020
*Welcome to the Chilldome! Playing mostly folk music... - 20/04/2020
*It's music stream time, everybody loves music stream time... - 11/05/2020
====Gaming Streams====
*Sea of Thieves Tall Tales Marathon for Charity: Part 1 (24 Jun 2020)
*Sea of Sings. Tonight we sink to the low C's... - 13/07/2020
*Sea of Sings! Let's get boaty! - 20/07/2020
*Musical larceny on the big blue wet thing - 10/08/2020
*Boat! Boat! Boat! Boat! Boat! - 21/08/2020
*Sea of Sings? Sea of chaos! - 25/09/2020
*SHANT! - 02/10/2020
*Sea of Sings! Let's Shant! With Kharites & TeachCourage! - 23/10/2020
*DROPS! Sea of Sings! with BehavingBeardly! SHANT! - 30/10/2020
*Sea of Sings! Welcome to the Shantydome! - 6/11/2020
*All aboard the shant bus... I mean boat... I mean ship - 20/11/2020
*Sea of Good Tidings - 30/11/2020
*Let's do pirate stuff - 12/12/2020
*Sea of Sings in the morning! - 11/01/2021
*Sea of Sings! Pirate malarkey afoot! - 15/01/2021
*Sea of Sings with Azuki and HappyKrakenX - 08/02/2021
*Sea of Sings with Teachcourage and TheSneakyBeagle - 09/02/2021
*Sea of Sings! Boats and stuff! - 15/02/2021
*Sea of Sings - It's boat time - 22/02/2021
*Giveaway giveaways - Let's get in the sea - 01/03/2021
*Sea of Sings! With Dave, JD and @Krotukk - 05/03/2021
*Singing and Sailing with BehavingBeardly and KroTukk - 21/03/2021
*Singing and Sailing in Sea of Thieves! With @RobRaven - 29/03/2021
*Season Two!! New skins, new voyages, same old Kharites_! - 16/04/2021
*Four men and a baby. (The baby is our ship) - 10/05/2021
*Sloop, Sloop, a tasty Sloop, Sloop... Singing and Sailing Monday Style - 28/06/2021
*Sea of Sings! Lets hope the internet is fixed... - 19/07/2021
*The seas are alive, with the sound of cannons! with Kharites_ and Krotukk - 30/07/2021
*We're back! Lily-livered land-lubbers beware! with Kharites_ & Krotukk! - 04/02/2022
Category:Songs
Category:Traditional
Category:Shared Leads
Category:C-Sides