Post Ireland V Italia, Rome 1990

[NeilMcD]

It is Tommy Tiernans to give him his credit

[lopez]

Me too I got a Celtic Greatest hits album for christmas and the national anthem is on it in ENGLISH... Its a disgrace..
I was disgusted, it's bad enough that most of the population cannot string two words of Irish together..
Its the IRISH national Anthem ao it should be in IRISH no other language...

It was originally written in English in 1907 by Peader Kearney so I can't see why it can't be sung in English by non-Irish speakers. I do agree with the fall of Irish speaking in Ireland. You can blame us 2G for not being fluent with the language but where are the Irish to converse with? People are complaining about not singing the anthem in Irish yet not exaclty making an effort in wider life to speaking Irish. Even in the Cork Gaeltacht I feel an eejit ordering anything in a shop or pub in Irish. I asked for 'uisce' in a pub and got offered a whiskey FFS. In fact it seems that Irish is wheeled out only when it is needed to talk behind the backs of those that don't speak it, than anything else.

As for changing the anthem. Give us a 32 county state and that's when it needs to be changed. Presently the country is defined by its historical conflict with Britain and people can do whatever they want to pretend otherwise.

[holidaysong]

At Ireland vs. Croatia there a few months ago I was shocked my friend I was with was unable to sing the anthem.. He was making up the words. I thought everyone knew it!

The governement should have banned english in 1922 and shot anyone who spoke it - that would have sorted them out

[drinkfeckarse]

Even in the Cork Gaeltacht I feel an eejit ordering anything in a shop or pub in Irish. I asked for 'uisce' in a pub and got offered a whiskey FFS

He probably thought you had a strong Weshht Cork accent like! That's what it would sound like...whishke

[eirebhoy]

For those looking to learning and for those not looking to learn it (its your duty )

Amhrán Na bhFiann (with pronunciation)

Sinne Fianna Fáil, (Sheena Feena fall)
Atá Fá gheall ag Éirinn, (A-taw fay yal egg air-in)
Buidhean dár sluagh tar rúinn do ráinig chughainn (bween dor slooa, har tin duh raw-nig hween.)
Fámhoídh bheírh saor, (Fwee voij vay sair)
Sean-tír ár sinnsear feasta (shan teer are shin-sher fas-ta)
Ní fágfar fá'n tíorán ná fa'n tráil; (nee fawg-ferr fween tear-on naw fween troyl)
Anocht a theigeamh sa bhearna baoghail, (ah-nocht ah hay-im sah varna vweel)
Le gean ar Gaedhí chun báis nó saoghail, (le gyan err Gwail khun boss no sayl)
Le gunna sgréach: Fá lamhach na piléar. (le gon-nuh shkrayk fay law-voc na bill-air)
Seo Libh canaidh amhrán na bhFiann. (shuh liv konig Aw-rawn na bhFiann)

[Cowboy]

Well said Sir

I think we should leave the national anthem as it is . As far as I know it has been there since the foundation of the state and I dont believe you should ever change your national anthem just for the sake of it. It should be sung in Irish at game with all the gutso we can give it. Nearly every anthem in the world refers to the winning of some battle and very few of them are politically correct as they were not written at a time when PC was the cultural Ideology of the day. GSTQ has the lyrics of "Rebellious Scots to Crush" and this is the Anthem of the Unitied Kingdom of which Scotland is a part of and yet that has not been changed. I dont see any need for it to be changed or to be sung in English or anything. Before anyone jumps down my back. I am not an IRA Sympathiser or Sinn Fein voter or Celtic fan just someone that thinks that a country should keep some of its traditions. I dont hate England either I just like to see them defeated at things like football and War.

[Cowboy]

He probably thought you had a strong Weshht Cork accent like! That's what it would sound like...whishke

actually whiskey is known as uisce beatha (the water of life) and I've often heard older guys just calling it just uisce. When they saw Lopez (hard looking that he is :-) ) they must have assumed no way he's be ordering water :-)

[lopez]

actually whiskey is known as uisce beatha (the water of life) and I've often heard older guys just calling it just uisce. When they saw Lopez (hard looking that he is :-) ) they must have assumed no way he's be ordering water :-)

Thanks for that Cowboy. Actually there was a gaelic music festival going on in Bally MacEera in a pub since closed down and there was a lecture given in Irish. No one said 'no English' but I thought I'd give my very limited Irish a bash at the bar. True I knew the confusion it could bring. I was learning it here in the early 90s with Conchita and the only conversation I've ever properly had was with a Spiddal man before our game against Denmark in 92. Don't use then you'l lose it. My mate with me, who was a Millwall fan, was fluent in it as his parents were from West Connemara and spoke it at home. BTW, isn't poteen known as 'water of death or something' in Irish?

[Cowboy]

BTW, isn't poteen known as 'water of death or something' in Irish?

No thats the Irish sea around sellafield your thinking of

[Docboy]

A nation that forgets its past forgets itself. Why the hell should we change the National Anthem? Get the words, learn the words and sing it with pride.
I couldn't believe Paris when a lot of the people around me just stood up and stared into space when it come to the National Anthems.
If some of these liberal nouveau Irish get their way (Dublin 4 dwellers, to everyone else) we will very soon have a National Anthem in English composed by Ronan Keating or the like.

Gotta agree with you there mate, I'm no raving IRA head but the politicaly correct brigade will bleed all trace of Irishness and our past and leave in a homogenised,franchised brave new world. Amhran na Bhfiann should stay where it is.

[jbyrne]

Gotta agree with you there mate, I'm no raving IRA head but the politicaly correct brigade will bleed all trace of Irishness and our past and leave in a homogenised,franchised brave new world. Amhran na Bhfiann should stay where it is.

yes, have to agree also. i cringe everytime that "Irelands Call" rubbish is played as our rugby teams anthem

[holidaysong]

yes, have to agree also. i cringe everytime that "Irelands Call" rubbish is played as our rugby teams anthem

The D4 Anthem..

I actually remember hearing a radio debate a few months ago on if we should change our flag, it was very interesting. A lot of people wanted to go back to the 1798 Rebellion flag of the gold harp on the green background with "Éireann Go Brách" (Ireland Forever) on it. Some D4 heads wanted the flag of St. Patrick which is white background with a red X. I like what the tricolour stands for though - peace between both communities on the island

[sylvo]

We'd be kicking up a stink if GSTQ or any other anthem had references to us in it.

Apperantly it has about seven verses which includes some of referances to some of its near neighbours.

[lopez]

...Some D4 heads wanted the flag of St. Patrick which is white background with a red X. I like what the tricolour stands for though - peace between both communities on the island...

To me this is a flag that represents the British community in Ireland (like the tricolour or the Ulster flag is the community of nationalists in the O6C). The Fitzgerald saltire has nothing to do with anyone who wants an independent Ireland. Don't mind people bringing it along to Rugby internationals but it's riduculous to suggest that it belongs as the flag of Ireland. Typical West Brits.

There are enough people coming into the country now with absolutely no interest in Ireland or Irish affairs without our own turning their backs on their identity and tradition.
They should all be put through the kind of process wannabe-Australians are put through.
End of rant.

Sadly a lot of these people coming in have more interest in Ireland than many people already here. Saw a programme in the mid 90s (sort of local news) and this Ukrainian bird was really good at speaking Irish. I wound up my F-i-L a few years ago by saying that I'd read in the papers that benefits of these 'imported scroungers' was being linked to how well they spoke Irish. Though a fluent Irish speaker himself he prefered they spoke English until he figured it was a wind up.

Apperantly it has about seven verses which includes some of referances to some of its near neighbours.

Here's a link for you Sylvo. I sooooooooo know you'd like to learn these tunes.
http://www.chaos.org.uk/~pdh/string/songbook.htm

[livehead1]

Like I'm gonna sing about Fianna Fail or soldiers coming from over the seas to fight for Ireland.

It's time the anthem was changed, it's not 1916 anymore.

no because that wouldn't be the 'in' thing to do now would it but dont you forget the thousands of people who died for ireland fighting the british, many of whom were from england. short memories...feckin eejit springs to mind

[lopez]

Flags?

How about the whole Blue Peter/Red Hand/Union Jack controversy in the past couple of days.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4030797

Can't see how the red hand is 'sectarian'. If that's the case the GAA must be collusion with loyalist paramilitaries. Just another complete overreaction. Typical uni bods: more time than sense.

Do like the Butcher's Apron in the shape of Ireland. Very post modern. Actually - and this should not come as a surprise - I'd say that in a country where most young people don't know anything about Churchill or Auschwitz (despite the constant cult of war in newspapers) the notion of the whole of Ireland being part of Britain shouldn't come as a shock. More ignorance than irredentism. Knew this bloke a few years back that said to me 'Right. So you want us Brits out of Dublin.' Priceless.

[sylvo]

Here's a link for you Sylvo. I sooooooooo know you'd like to learn these tunes.
http://www.chaos.org.uk/~pdh/string/songbook.htm

But what happens if the third in line to the chair thing ever takes over. Will they change the anthem to the hoss viesiill song or some tunes sung in the Hoff Brau house in Munich pre 1945. And will the ceiling pattern in that pub get copyed in that big council house in the mall.

[pineapple stu]

For those looking to learning and for those not looking to learn it (its your duty )

Amhrán Na bhFiann (with pronunciation)

Sinne Fianna Fáil, (Sheena Feena fall)
Atá Fá gheall ag Éirinn, (A-taw fay yal egg air-in)
Buidhean dár sluagh tar rúinn do ráinig chughainn (bween dor slooa, har tin duh raw-nig hween.)
Fámhoídh bheírh saor, (Fwee voij vay sair)
Sean-tír ár sinnsear feasta (shan teer are shin-sher fas-ta)
Ní fágfar fá'n tíorán ná fa'n tráil; (nee fawg-ferr fween tear-on naw fween troyl)
Anocht a theigeamh sa bhearna baoghail, (ah-nocht ah hay-im sah varna vweel)
Le gean ar Gaedhí chun báis nó saoghail, (le gyan err Gwail khun boss no sayl)
Le gunna sgréach: Fá lamhach na piléar. (le gon-nuh shkrayk fay law-voc na bill-air)
Seo Libh canaidh amhrán na bhFiann. (shuh liv konig Aw-rawn na bhFiann)

That's only the chorus, though, isn't it? Think there are three verses as well?

[lopez]

But what happens if the third in line to the chair thing ever takes over. Will they change the anthem to the hoss viesiill song or some tunes sung in the Hoff Brau house in Munich pre 1945. And will the ceiling pattern in that pub get copyed in that big council house in the mall.

Check out this week's Private Eye. It's got the headline 'Nazi Gaffe Shock' with a picture of Hitler saying 'I've come as Prince Harry.' Dunno what all the hassle is over Hazza and his uniform. He's half German aint he? Erm, no I forgot, his father's James Hewitt.

[Cowboy]

Jesus H, I'd rather they played God Save the Queen than that dire crap.

Its bad but it aint that bad