Rocky Road to Dublin is a 19th-century Irish song about a man's experiences as he travels to Liverpool in England from his home in Tuam in Ireland. It is often performed instrumentally.
The words were written by D. K. Gavan, "The Galway Poet", for the English music hall performer Harry Clifton (1824–1872), 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 or barley, 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 Tuam, County Galway on foot, and heads east, resting in Mullingar, County Westmeath where he charms the local women with his "curious style" and swagger. He next arrives in the capital, Dublin, and decides to tour the city, but is robbed of his meagre possessions. He attempts to locate the thief, but is mocked. 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 off the coast of Holyhead, Wales. He arrives in the English city of Liverpool where he is mocked by the locals because of his nationality. Losing his temper, he engages them in a fight using his blackthorn shillelagh, but is outnumbered until a group of Irishmen from Galway come to his rescue ("join in the affray"), the first people who have helped him on his trip.