*drops shoulders*
Ahead of the Six Nations Championship.
Johnny Watterson trolls writes:
Ireland’s Call, it makes you wonder how it ever got there, who it was slipped it into the rugby fixture list, who it was decided it would remain part of the rugby experience and force fed to 50,000 people before every home Six Nations Championship match.
A sop to the Ulster players, who won’t sing Amhrán na bhFiann because it’s not their anthem, Ireland’s Call has found a place alongside fracking and puppy farms as plain wrong….
Foight!
Time to call a halt to embarrassing ‘Ireland’s Call’ (Irish Times)
Previously: Fields Of Athenry: “This Is Not A Rugby Song”
Sponsored Link
“A sop to the Ulster players, who won’t sing Amhrán na bhFiann because it’s not their anthem”
Nice little effort to blame Ulster players here. Surely the Ulster players are the ones being magnanimous in this by giving up their right to having their own national anthem played. They could very easily insist on God Save the Queen being played alongside Amhrán na bhFiann instead of Ireland’s Call.
What about an away game where the majority give up their right to Amhrán na bhFiann?!
They’ll live.
Is this a Louis le Whatchamacallit article!?
*crouch, touch, pause, don’t play*
*chuckles*
But there is no N. Irish rugby team, right? And any N. Irish players on the Irish rugby team should be obliged to sing our national anthem because Ireland’s Call isn’t to everyone’s taste?
If the Irish team were to sing Amhrán na bhFiann, should we not sing God Save the Queen, or perhaps God Bless Africa, as a nod to CJ Stander’s South African origins?
*should we not also sing… etc.
I need to start proof-reading my comments
“But there is no N. Irish rugby team, right? And any N. Irish players on the Irish rugby team should be obliged to sing our national anthem?” –
There is no Republic of Ireland Rugby team either. I think Danny Boy would do the trick.
Exactly! The Irish rugby team is made up of players from both nations, and the song should reflect that.
Danny Boy is a great song, moves me to tears every time.
Instead of trying to find the right song just ditch the singing and play the game.
One nation – two jurisdictions!
Fupp Danny Boy…!!
You mean the Londonderry Air?!
Teenage Kicks. Written by a Nordie band so it’s all Ireland inclusive and could you imagine 30k Ireland fans pogoing around to the national anthem?
there’s no Republic of Ireland team either…
your quick!
In fairness, I really didn’t express myself well at all.
Ireland’s Call is better than that miserable excuse for an anthem Amhran na bFhiann.
Jon. Ireland’s call is a woeful excuse of a song to represent the Island of Ireland.
It’s that time of year when this argument pops up again. Really, what’s the point?
Irish Times clickbait
+1
Jesus not this again.
The superior tone ante well and truly upped with this. Can you imagine if a british article sneered at someone from NI refusing to sing GSTQ?
I’m not mad on the song but I think the concept is sound and tbh its ridiculous that we get to sing 2 national anthems at home games. They should do away with Amhran and just go with this.
Well said.
Although, allegedly, Amhran is sung to honour the President, not strictly as an anthem of a team.
President gets his own little abbreviated version* as he comes out on the pitch
*much like himself
@ N. NYC.
As you need to insult President Higgins stature you’re probably a fine specimen of humanity yourself, but obviously that doesn’t extend to your intellect.
*you’re*
Half man half biscuit
click bait .
How about not playing anthems at matches full stop.
I’ve always thought that La Marsellaise is an unfair advantage for the French. There’s no other anthem that comes close to it in terms of hype.
Ours is great when the atmosphere is right. I’d put the Italian one up there. That does be super
The Italian one is slightly diminished by the overwhelming temptation to just keep repeating the words ‘italia, italia’ over and over again for 2 minutes.
Try it next time. Sorry for ruining it for you :)
French garsons have it right
A phase I use a lot when cribbing about Ireland’s mesh
Its a perfect Call to Arms
A right daycent Rabble Rouser
And ban the Haka, and no wearing of national colours.
We should have our own Haka
The Muckah
I’d agree with ditching the anthems. Players warm up, then run into the dressing room, then run out and stand around for some introductions, a mini concert and sometimes a bit of interpretive dance before getting started. Where’s the benefit of the warm up there? Just come out and play the game. It seems to work OK for the Pro12 and HECNua.
If these bitter Unionists dislike the rest of us so much go and play for England.
They don’t but well done on not having an ounce of critical thinking in your little head.
These bitter Unionists are Irish (whether they like it or not) and would probably rather play for Scotland if they got the heave hoe, Trump style, as you suggest.
Will you be leading their purge if you ever get your united Ireland?
Ruille +++++
They have little or no affinity with England and much more in common with Irishness (whether they realise it or not!)
I like it. It gives those of us who don’t know a lick of Irish something to sing along to. It doesn’t sound written in the 18th century.
“A sop to the Ulster players, who won’t sing Amhrán na bhFiann because it’s not their anthem,”
This is not the case. The tradition in rugby was that only the home anthem was played. The 1987 RWC changed all that as they played home and away anthems. In the absence of a copy of the Irish anthem the Rose of Tralee was famously played before Ireland’s first game in the tournament. This had nothing at all to do with Ulster players who, according to Donal Lenihan who was there, had no objections to Amhrán na bhFiann being played. In fact Amhrán na bhFiann was played before Ireland’s other games in that tournament.
Ireland’s Call was the eventual solution to a problem that never existed.
Donal Lenihan’s autobiography, My Life in Rugby is a great read, as is No Borders by Tom English; also, Justine Kyle McGrath wrote a very moving biography about her dad titled; Jack Kyle: Conversations With my Father – if you’re interested in Irish rugby and/ or haven’t read them already.
I don’t think anyone ever sang to Johnny Watterson when he was a little lad. Now he hates wee songs. It’s just a little song. We’re lucky we get to sing a little song. If you don’t want to that’s fine but don’t cry and take the ball home.
Does Phil Coulter get a royalty for every time it’s played before a match? He will be able to afford a lifetimes wardrobe of lemon suits and khaki overcoats (with trilby). What a tube!
Anyone else notice that almost every Irish Times opinion piece inevitably is titled “Time to end…”, or “It’s time we put a stop to…”.
I say it’s time to stop giving a toss whatever the stains who end up writing opinion pieces for The Irish Times think.
I like Amhrán na bhFiann, I don’t detest GSTQ but this is the island that gave the world C’est la Vie, Kim Jackson’s stellar Eurovision entry from 1991 – Could it be That I’m in Love and Love Me for a Reason…surely we could do better than Ireland Calls
Best way to avoid hearing it is to not watch such attritional nonsense and watch sports that require skill instead.
Finally, the correct answer.
+++++
See.
Tis’ n’t just me
Unstraps bandage and opens up old wound. Nothing wrong with Ireland’s Call / it’s served us well. Ya wouldn’t rename a good boat.
Kevin Myers long ago said There is an Isle should be used to represent the North/Republic team, as it would wring a tear from the eye of any Irishman, even the most recalcitrant unionist. He had a point.
Put a stop to rugby. Period.
Because of your oval-shaped willy?
Wha’how ya’now
Annuder one
We should get jerseys made up Plank
Wha’ the füpp lads
I’ve been sqealing about Ireland’s Yawn for years
Did it here again in October
Füpp@ll ‘ve engaged
Yer man comes along
n’yere ate’ing inta it
Videos n’all
The aviva / lansdowne West Brit set LOVE Ireland’s Call. Fupping LOVE it.
It’s just a z cars rip off. Coulter should be in jail.