Ireland's Call
Ireland's Call is a song commissioned by the Irish Rugby Football Union for use at international rugby union fixtures (featuring the Ireland national rugby union team and the junior national teams.)[1] It has since also been adopted by the Irish Hockey, Cricket and Rugby league teams.
Overview
In each case the team represents the whole island of Ireland (both Northern Ireland as well as the Republic of Ireland). While Amhrán na bhFiann (Irish for “The Soldier's Song”) is the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland, and has been used by some all-Ireland Olympic teams, its use arouses sensitivities among those with unionist sympathies in Northern Ireland. [2] Equally, the national anthem of Northern Ireland, as part of the United Kingdom, is God Save The Queen, which is sensitive among those with nationalist sympathies. At matches played in the Republic, both Amhrán na bhFiann (as the anthem of the Irish nation) and Ireland's Call (as the anthem of the home (Irish) team) are sung. Elsewhere, Ireland's Call is the only anthem used in recognition of the need for a unifying anthem.
At most games today, only the first verse is sung, followed by the chorus in the same key. The chorus is then repeated in a higher key; at the end, the last line is repeated.
The song was written by Phil Coulter in 1995. He composed it because he loved hearing a combination of the Irish accents singing together.[3] It was first broadcast simultaneously in Northern Ireland on the Kelly show and in the Republic of Ireland on Gay Byrne's Late Late Show, sung by Andrew Strong, singer in the film The Commitments, accompanied by Portadown Male Voice Choir. He has rewritten the lyrics to be sung in the Celtic Thunder singing tour, where he has collaborated with Sharon Browne, the Original Producer of Celtic Woman.
Since its creation, there has been an ongoing debate in Irish society over the song – both in terms of its political suitability, and in terms of the quality of the composition. This tends to come to a head during each Rugby World Cup – the only time the Irish team plays a succession of matches away from home, and hence, when Ireland's Call is most prominently used.
However, in the wake of Ireland's game against England at Croke Park in the 2007 Six Nations championship, commentators in the Irish media talked about how powerful the rendition of the anthem was: “Amhrán na bhFiann and Ireland's Call were belted out with such hair-raising intensity that men and women were crying as they sang.” [4]
Other rugby match songs
- Flower of Scotland
- La Marseillaise
- The Fields of Athenry
- Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
- Molly Malone
- Bread of Heaven
- Waltzing Matilda
References
- ^ "Gavin Mairs: Why it's time to take a stand on anthems". Belfast Telegraph. 2007-08-23. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
- ^ John Sugden and Scott Harvie (1995). "Sport and Community Relations in Northern Ireland 3.2 Flags and anthems". Retrieved 2008-05-26.
- ^ "Ireland's Call". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
- ^ "Hair-raising cry of anthems fills Croker with pride and joy". The Irish Times. 2007-02-26. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
External links
