Post Ireland V Italia, Rome 1990

[Superhoops]

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

Lopez, first time I have seen this. Love the second verse:
O Lord our God arise,
Scatter her enemies
And make them fall;
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
Oh, save us all!
Says it all really. Can picture the Burberry hat brigade beltin this out and using it as justification for kickin the sh*te out of all and sundry.

[eirebhoy]

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

I dunno but thats all thats played at matches.

[crc]

I have no problem with Ireland's Call at rugby matches - its a rousing tune and everybody knows the words. Northern unionists deserve a parity of esteem too. We have to realise that the symbols of the southern state don't represent them, so we have to use symbols that are representative of both communities (like the shamrock).
From a purely selfish perspective (i.e. the prospect of a united Ireland), it doesn't help us to make them our enemies by forcing our symbols on them. A united Ireland will only happen when everyone feels comfortable with it. You won't be able to force nearly a million northerners into it. In that regard, there needs to be a rapprochement not only between the communities in the north, but also between northern unionists and the south. This is one of the great things about the Setanta Cup!

[gypsyfella]

its a ****ing joke - we were the only country at the World CUp to have some ****ing pop song instead of our anthem...

the team is 'ireland', the flag is 'Ireland' and most of the fans are ;irish'... could you see the IFA changing the national anthem of the soccer team to include the 'minority' catholic players?

**** the song, and **** David **** Humphreys...

[Duncan Gardner]

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

No, keep the anthem. I quite like it sung in Irish

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

Stop being such an Orange apologist, Lopez

could you see the IFA changing the national anthem of the soccer team to include the 'minority' catholic players?

**** the song, and **** David **** Humphreys...

Top political analysis there, gyp. You da man. If the IFA change at all, it's likely to be an effort to stress our difference from England, not something nationalists would see as tokenism.

[Cowboy]

The Barney song has the same aspects, and it's got better lyrics - 'I love you, you love me...', heck it works better than the one Coulter inflicted on us...

classic, best laugh i've had all day

[sylvo]

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.

He's the only total inguurrliish one out of the lot of them.

[anto eile]

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.

usice is water, fuisce is whiskey, an easy mistake. like ordering bulmers and getting bud.happens to me a lot

a nation once again is not appropriate, not until we actually are a nation once again, 32 counties.and id object to a national anthem in english.

the irish are as much to blame as the english for the decline of the irish language

[anto eile]

roinnt ceartúcháin daoibh

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

Amhrán Na bhFiann (with pronunciation)

Sinne Fianna Fáil, (Shin na Feeana fall)
Atá Fé gheall ag Éirinn, (A-taw fay gyal egg air-in)
Buidhean dár sluagh thar toinn do ráinig chughainn (bween dor slooa, har tin duh raw-nig khuwn.)
Fé mhoíd bheith saor, (Fwee vod veh sair)
Sean-tír ár sinnsear feasta (shan teer awr shin-sher fas-ta)
Ní fágfar fé'n tíorán ná fé'n tráil; (nee fawg-ferr fween tear-on naw fween trawl)
Anocht a théim sa bhearna baoghail, (ah-nocht ah hay-im sah varna vweel)
Le gean ar Gaedheal chun báis nó saoil, (le gyan ar Gwail khun bosh no sayl)
Le gunna sgréach:fé lamhach na bpiléar. (le gun-ah shkraykh fay law-voc na bill-air)
Seo Libh canaidh amhrán na bhFiann. (shuh liv konig Aw-rawn na veen)

now arent i pedantic

[anto eile]

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 :-)

uisce beatha or fuisce

[anto eile]

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?

poitín. poit is hangover. "ín" is diminutive. could be little hangover possibly!but dont take it as gospel,youd wana double check

[anto eile]

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.

our own have been turning their backs on us for centuries

[sylvo]

Lopez, first time I have seen this. Love the second verse:
O Lord our God arise,
Scatter her enemies
And make them fall;
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
Oh, save us all!
Says it all really. Can picture the Burberry hat brigade beltin this out and using it as justification for kickin the sh*te out of all and sundry.

Not forgetting singing it while the fuzz from various countrys that are lucky enough to have their presence, are busy smacking them over the heads with the auld batons, and then getting the blame for provoking them.

[anto eile]

We have to realise that the symbols of the southern state don't represent them, so we have to use symbols that are representative of both communities (like the shamrock).

the tricolor does represent them, whether they like it or not..eh bit of an oxymoron there i know!anyway a symbol of peace between the two communities on the island, with both communities representated equally on the flag, shouldnt be seen as a threat/enemy/object of hatred

[sylvo]

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

Ireland must be the only country where so many people like to forget the sacrafice people made in the contrabution to freedom, other countrys in Europe have huge national celabrations about when the nazi's got kicked out of their country as well as America going bonkers on the 4th of July, but in Ireland its kept a bit quite in case someone in Brit-tan or the Irish/British media gets upset.
As for a change in the anthem, when we have a 32 county republic then we can have an mix of Amhran Na bhFiann and the sash my father wore.

[lopez]

**** the song, and **** David **** Humphreys...

Ah the voice of reason.

Stop being such an Orange apologist, Lopez.

YAWN! To some that's what I am. To others, I'm nothing but a chucky bigot. As gypsy would say '**** the *****ing shower of ****s the ****ing lot of the ****ers.'

He's the only total inguurrliish one out of the lot of them.

Perhaps. But he's not the only one who's official father differs from his biological father in that house.

Ireland must be the only country where so many people like to forget the sacrafice people made in the contrabution to freedom, other countrys in Europe have huge national celabrations about when the nazi's got kicked out of their country as well as America going bonkers on the 4th of July, but in Ireland its kept a bit quite in case someone in Brit-tan or the Irish/British media gets upset.

We make St Patrick's day our national day and people are still complaining of its 'sectarian image' etc. Easter Monday or nothing.

As for a change in the anthem, when we have a 32 county republic then we can have an mix of Amhran Na bhFiann and the sash my father wore.

We should have that for the rugby. How about a grandmaster funk re-mix with a bit of Shaggy going 't'wasn't me' in the middle just to point out that no-one is to blame for the plus 3K deaths of the troubles.

[Cowboy]

uisce beatha or fuisce

I stand corrected

[holidaysong]

As for the Blue Peter thing - it was seen as sectarian because the Red Hand was placed in the centre of an outline of ireland covered in the union jack and some northern loyalist paramilitaries have murals of the 6 counties covered in the union jack.

The Red Hand used on the yellow background flag for the 9 county province of Ulster (eg. Gaa) is fine. There is a lot of confusion over the origins of the Red Hand.

Unionists like the idea of when the brits first came here a general said he would give a sum of money to the first man to lay his right hand on ireland and a left handed soldier hacked off his right hand and threw it from the sea as they approached the beach and there it lay covered in blood.

Nationalist are more with the idea that it was the symbol for the Eoighin family in Tyrone (ie. Tír Eoighin) and hence the Red Hand symbol is on the Gaa jerseys of Tyrone.