"Rocky Road to Dublin" is a 19th-century

Irish song Irish music is music that has been created in various genres on the island of Ireland. The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music. It has remained vibrant through the 20th and into the 21st century, despite globali ...

written by Irish poet D. K. Gavan about a man's experiences as he travels to

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, England from his home in

Tuam Tuam ( ; ga, Tuaim , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. Humans have lived in the area since the Bron ...

, Ireland. Originally popularized by

Harry Clifton Harry Clifton may refer to: * Harry Clifton (poet) (born 1952), Irish poet * Harry Clifton (actor), American silent film actor * Harry Clifton (footballer, born 1914) (1914–1998), English footballer * Harry Clifton (footballer, born 1998), We ...

, it has since been performed extensively and become a

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

Irish folk Irish traditional music (also known as Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants) is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland. In ''A History of Irish Music'' (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that, in Gaelic Ireland, there we ...

music. The song is also often performed instrumentally.

Origin

The words were written by D. K. Gavan, "The Galway Poet", for the English music hall performer

(1832–1872), who popularized the song. The song describes the adventures, troubles, and travails that the protagonist encounters on his travels. At the beginning of the song, the protagonist of the story states that he is "off to reap the corn" meaning he is off to seek his fortune. ("Corn" can refer to any cereal grain, such as

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley pr ...

, and metaphorically refers to wealth.) He begins his journey by bidding farewell to his family and friends and preparing supplies. He leaves his hometown of

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

on foot, and heads east, resting in

Mullingar Mullingar ( ; ) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, with a population of 20,928 in the 2016 census. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543 proclaimed Westmeat ...

County Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Sovereign state, Country , subdivision_name = Republic of Ireland, Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Provinces o ...

where he charms the local women with his "curious style" and swagger. He next arrives in the capital,

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, and decides to tour the city, but is

robbed Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...

of his meagre possessions. He attempts to locate the thief ("Enquiring for the rogue"), but is mocked because of his accent ("Connaught brogue"). He hops a ship in the harbor headed for England, and is placed in the hold with the pigs, where he experiences severe

sea sickness Motion sickness occurs due to a difference between actual and expected motion. Symptoms commonly include nausea, vomiting, cold sweat, headache, dizziness, tiredness, loss of appetite, and increased salivation. Complications may rarely include d ...

off the coast of

Holyhead Holyhead (,; cy, Caergybi , "Cybi's fort") is the largest town and a community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales, with a population of 13,659 at the 2011 census. Holyhead is on Holy Island, bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, and is ...

, Wales. He arrives in the English city of

where he is mocked by the locals because of his nationality. Losing his temper, he engages them in a fight using his

blackthorn ''Prunus spinosa'', called blackthorn or sloe, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. The species is native to Europe, western Asia, and regionally in northwest Africa. It is locally naturalized in New Zealand, Tasmania, ...

shillelagh A shillelagh ( ; ga, sail éille or , "thonged willow") is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty blackthorn stick with a large knob at the top. It is associated with Ireland and Irish folklore. Other ...

, but is outnumbered until a group of Irishmen from

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

come to his rescue ("join in the

affray In many legal jurisdictions related to English common law, affray is a public order offence consisting of the fighting of one or more persons in a public place to the terror (in french: à l'effroi) of ordinary people. Depending on their act ...

"), the first people who have helped him on his trip.

Music

The tune uses

Dorian mode Dorian mode or Doric mode can refer to three very different but interrelated subjects: one of the Ancient Greek ''harmoniai'' (characteristic melodic behaviour, or the scale structure associated with it); one of the medieval musical modes; or—mos ...

. It has a typical Irish rhythm, classified as a slip (or hop) jig in 9/8 timing. An extra beat or two between chorus and verse is often added. Sometimes, the final line in the verses is sung with 7 strong musical beats ( + ): :''And frighten all the dogs on the rocky road to Dublin.'' (every strong musical beat is in bold) Rather than with 6 strong musical beats (9/8 + 9/8): :''And frighten all the dogs on the rocky road to Dublin.''

Lyrics

There are many variations in the lyrics depending on the singer. For instance "June" in the first line is often replaced by its Irish counterpart "Meitheamh" mistaken by some to be the English "May". Most interpretations of the twentieth century omit the second and antepenultimate verse, and replace the original chorus by the following: :''One two three four five,'' :''Hunt the hare and turn her down the rocky road'' :''And all the way to Dublin, whack-fol-la-de-da !''

Adaptations

The song is partially recited several times by Mr Deasy in James Joyce's novel ''

Ulysses Ulysses is one form of the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero in ancient Greek literature. Ulysses may also refer to: People * Ulysses (given name), including a list of people with this name Places in the United States * Ulysses, Kansas * Ulysse ...

''. The song serves as the first movement of Peter Graham's composition ''Gaelforce'', which exists in versions for brass band (2000, commissioned by

Foden's Band Foden's Band (originally Foden's Motor Works Band, and variants with sponsors' names) is a brass band from Sandbach in Cheshire. The band derives its name from the Foden manufacturer of trucks in Sandbach. Foden's Band are one of the top br ...

) and

concert band A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion famil ...

(2001). The main theme and chorus are repeated four times, rather than five as in most modern vocal performances. The song was adapted by songwriter Kiernan Anderson in a song entitled "Rocky Road to Edmonton" Kiernan_Anderson_2022_album_A_Bird_in_the_Hand_Vol._2

_Recordings

*_The_Clancy_Brothers
_with_Tommy_Makem.html" ;"title="The Clancy Brothers">Kiernan Anderson 2022 album A Bird in the Hand Vol. 2

Recordings

* The Clancy Brothers
with Tommy Makem">The Clancy Brothers">Kiernan Anderson 2022 album A Bird in the Hand Vol. 2

Recordings

* The Clancy Brothers
with Tommy Makem in 1964 * The Dubliners in 1964 * Luke Kelly in 1973 (this version is featured in the 2009 film ''Sherlock Holmes (2009 film), Sherlock Holmes'') * Ryan's Fancy in 1973 * Paddy Reilly in 1985 * The Pogues in 1988 *

Bert Jansch Herbert Jansch (3 November 1943 – 5 October 2011) was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s as an acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter ...

in 1990 *

Fiddler's Green Fiddler's Green is an after-life where there is perpetual mirth, a fiddle that never stops playing, and dancers who never tire. In 19th-century English maritime folklore, it was a kind of after-life for sailors who had served at least fifty ye ...

in 1992 * The Irish Descendants in 1993 * The Young Dubliners in 1994 *

The Chieftains The Chieftains are a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous wi ...

featuring with

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

on ''

The Long Black Veil "Long Black Veil" is a 1959 country ballad, written by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin and originally recorded by Lefty Frizzell. It is told from the point of view of a man falsely accused of murder and executed. He refuses to provide an alibi, ...

'' in 1995 *

in 1995 *

Clandestine Clandestine may refer to: * Secrecy, the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups, perhaps while sharing it with other individuals * Clandestine operation, a secret intelligence or military activity Music and entertainme ...

in 1996 *

The Permanent Cure The Permanent Cure is an Irish folk group. The songs commute between Irish folk, Bluegrass music, bluegrass, Country music, country and Traditional music, roots music. History ''The Permanent Cure'' was formed in 1976 on St. Stephen's Green i ...

in 1996 *

Gaelic Storm Gaelic Storm is a Celtic band founded in Santa Monica, California in 1996. Their musical output includes pieces from traditional Irish music, Scottish music, and original tunes in both the Celtic and Celtic rock genres. The band had its first ...

in 1998 *

Orthodox Celts Orthodox Celts is a Serbian band formed in Belgrade in 1992 which plays Irish folk music combined with rock elements. Despite their uncharacteristic genre in their home country, the band is one of the top acts of the Serbian rock scene and has ...

on '' Green Roses'' in 1999 * Belfast Food on album ''Zašto zato'' in 2000 *

Christy Moore Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore (born 7 May 1945) is an Irish folk singer, songwriter and guitarist. In addition to his significant success as an individual, he is one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts. His first album, ...

in 2000 *

Dropkick Murphys Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. Singer and bassist Ken Casey has been the band's only constant member. Other current members include drummer Matt Kelly (1997– ), singer Al Barr (199 ...

in 2001 and 2002 *

Brobdingnagian Bards The Brobdingnagian Bards are a Celtic music group from Austin, Texas, United States. History Marc Gunn, formerly of Austin Texas' alternative rock bands Skander and Breastfed, released a solo album (''Geography'') featuring himself on autoharp a ...

in 2002 * Cruachan in 2002 * Mad Dog Mcrea in 2002 *

Blaggards Blaggards are an American Celtic rock band from Houston, Texas. The Houston Press has described them as "H-town's heir to the emerald throne of Phil Lynott and Shane MacGowan". History Blaggards are led by guitarist and singer Patrick Devlin, ...

in 2005 *

Bad Haggis Bad Haggis is a Celtic band with roots in Scottish music. The American group is led by piper Eric Rigler, who has played on dozens of movie soundtracks. A tune by Bad Haggis was used in the first season of Crossing Jordan, and pipes and whistles ...

in 2005 *

Barleyjuice Barleyjuice is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed originally in 1998, the group began as a side project for musicians Keith Swanson and Kyf Brewer, who met as bagpipers in the Loch Rannoch Pipes & Drums of Pinevill ...

in 2006 *

Damien Dempsey Damien Dempsey (born 9 June 1975) is an Irish singer and songwriter who mixes traditional Irish folk contemporary lyrics that deliver social and political commentaries on Irish society. Damien sings in his native, working class accent in the Eng ...

in 2008 *

The High Kings The High Kings is an Irish folk group formed in Dublin in 2008. The band consists of Finbarr Clancy, Brian Dunphy, Darren Holden, and Paul O'Brien. As of 2020, the group had released five studio albums, four live albums, and two live DVDs, an ...

in 2008 and 2017 *

The Tossers The Tossers are an American six-piece Celtic punk band from Chicago, Illinois, United States, formed in July 1993. They have toured with Murphy's Law, Streetlight Manifesto, Catch 22, Dropkick Murphys, The Reverend Horton Heat, Flogging Molly, ...

in 2008 * Johnny Logan in 2008, ''

Irishman in America ''Irishman in America'' is the thirteenth studio album by Australian-born Irish singer and composer Johnny Logan, released in Europe in September 2008. The album is described as blending traditional Irish folk classics with American country & we ...

'' * Culann's Hounds in 2008 * Celtic Thunder in 2013 *

Damien Leith Damien Leo Leith (born 18 January 1976, in Dublin) is an Irish-Australian singer–songwriter. He was the winner of the Network Ten music contest ''Australian Idol 2006''. Since winning the title, Leith has released nine studio albums, four of wh ...

in 2015, from the album ''

Songs From Ireland ''Songs from Ireland'' is the eighth album by ''Australian Idol'' 2006 winner Damien Leith. It was released by Sony Music Australia on CD and digital download in Australia on 13 March 2015. The album debuted at No. 11 in Australia. Backgroun ...

'' *

The Kings of Connaught ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

2016 *

Lankum Lankum are a contemporary Irish folk music group from Dublin, consisting of brothers Ian and Daragh Lynch, Cormac MacDiarmada and Radie Peat. In 2018 they were named Best Folk Group at the RTÉ Folk Music Awards, while Radie Peat was named Bes ...

2019 * The Ramparts Chamber Choir Dublin in 2020

References

External links

Sheet music and modern lyricsUnaccompanied performance of all seven verses
(Ray Begley, 2014) {{Authority control 19th-century songs Irish folk songs Mullingar The Pogues songs Songs about Ireland Tuam Works about human migration Year of song unknown