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. 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." 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.

**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.

**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. (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

#### 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

1. ↑ https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=80986#1480059
2. ↑ https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=68619#1158476
3. ↑ https://www.lexico.com/definition/brogue
4. ↑ https://www.bartleby.com/81/14625.html
5. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shillelagh