Play recording: Rocky Road to Dublin, The
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- Teideal (Title): Rocky Road to Dublin, The.
- Uimhir Chatalóige Ollscoil Washington (University of Washington Catalogue Number): 861203.
- Uimhir Chnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann (National Folklore of Ireland Number): none.
- Uimhir Roud (Roud Number): 3012.
- Uimhir Laws (Laws Number): none.
- Uimhir Child (Child Number): none.
- Cnuasach (Collection): Joe Heaney Collection, University of Washington, Seattle.
- Teanga na Croímhíre (Core-Item Language): English.
- Catagóir (Category): song.
- Ainm an té a thug (Name of Informant): Joe Heaney.
- Ainm an té a thóg (Name of Collector): unavailable.
- Dáta an taifeadta (Recording Date): 1979.
- Suíomh an taifeadta (Recording Location): unavailable.
- Ocáid an taifeadta (Recording Occasion): studio session.
- Daoine eile a bhí i láthair (Others present): unavailable.
- Stádas chóipcheart an taifeadta (Recording copyright status): unavailable.
In the merry month of June, when from home I started
Left the girls of Tuam, sadly broken-hearted
Saluted father dear, kissed my darling mother
Drank a pint of beer, my tears and grief to smother.
Then away to reap the corn, left where I was born
I picked a stout black thorn to banish ghosts and goblins
And a brand-new pair of brogues, rattling o’er the bogs
Fighting all the dogs, on the rocky road to Dublin.
One two three four five, hunt the hare and turn her
Down the rocky road, and fire away to Dublin
Whack fol-da rol-da.
Well in Mullingar that night I rested limbs so weary
Started by daylight next morning, bright and early
Took a drop of the pure to keep me spirits from sinking
That’s an Irishman cure whenever he’s on for drinking.
To hear the lassies smile, laughing all the while
At my curious smile it set my heart a-bubbling
Asked was I hired, or wages I required
Till I was almost tired of the rocky road to Dublin.
One two three four five, hunt the hare and turn her
Down the rocky road, and fire away to Dublin
Whack fol-da rol-day.
When in Dublin next arrived I thought it such a pity
To be so soon deprived a view of that great city.
Then I took a stroll all among the quality;
Bundle it was stolen in a neat locality
Something crossed my mind, when I looked behind
No bundle could I find upon my stick a-wobbling
Enquiring for the rogue, they said my Connacht brogue
Wasn’t much in vogue on the rocky road to Dublin
One two three four five, hunt the hare and turn her
Down the rocky road, and fire away to Dublin
Whack fol-da rol-day.
From there I went away, my spirits never failing
Landed on the quay as the ship was sailing
Captain at me roared, said no room for Paddy
Then I jumped aboard, a cabin found for Paddy
Down among the pigs; I played some hearty rigs
Danced some hearty jigs, the water round me bubbling
When off Holyhead I wished myself was dead
Or better off instead on the rocky road to Dublin
One two three four five, hunt the hare and turn her
Down the rocky road, and fire away to Dublin
Whack fol-da rol-day.
Well, the boys of Liverpool, when we safely landed
Called myself a fool, I could no longer stand it
Blood began to rise, temper I was losing
Poor old Erin’s isle they began abusing
‘Hurrah my soul,’ says I, shillelagh I let fly
Galways boys were nigh and saw I was a tumbling
With a loud hurray they quickly joined in the fray
We quickly cleared the way for the rocky road to Dublin
One two three four five, hunt the hare and turn her
Down the rocky road, and fire away to Dublin
Whack fol-da rol-day.
Notes
Joe made two attempts (of which this is one) at recording this song for use in John Cage’s opera, Roaratorio. On both occasions he broke down, the words escaping him during the second-to-last stanza.
Because no other performances of this song are to be found either in the Joe Heaney Collection or among Joe’s commercial recordings, we may wonder if possibly Joe attempted to learn it specially for Roaratorio, which was based on Joyce’s novel Finnegans Wake. The text is very close to the one printed in Colm O Lochlainn’s collection, Irish Street Ballads (1939), p. 102-3. We know that Joe was familiar with O Lochlainn’s volumes, so it may well have been his source for the text.
The air is a popular slip-jig, recorded by Petrie (The Ancient Music of Ireland, p. 175; The Complete Petrie Collection, pp. 548 and 969); Joe also had a song in Irish, Tadhg na nGarantaí, which employed the same tune.