ON Saturday next the French will stand as proud as cockerels at the Stade de France, belting out La Marseillaise as they prepare to do battle with the depraved Gaelic hordes from across the seas.
Ten of thousands of Frogs will clear their throats, temporarily cease touching up each other's wives and domestic pets, and let their dulcet patriotism soar into the Parisian air.
Allons enfants de la Patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrivé !
Contre nous de la tyrannie,
L'étendard sanglant est levé,
Etc etc.
Leaving aside the throat slitting and impure blood watering their fields, the anthem hits the spot. It's catchy, touches all the right patriotic erogenous zones, and everyone can sing along to it. Most of all it's, obviously, doh!, unmistakably French.
Similarly, the Scots always give a rousing rendition of Flower of Scotland and the English have their God Save the Queen. The Welsh and the Italians have fine anthems also.
But not Paddy. Paddy is way too modern for all that. Paddy is inclusive.
Paddy will be in Paris on Saturday next as the last notes of La Marseillaise are swept away down the Seine and the first insipid tones of Ireland's Call, the snot nosed bastard child of so called national anthems, rises apologetically from the bowels of the stadium.
The French, caught unawares because they think the appalling Phil Coulter ditty is an intro to an ad for some sort of cross border version of a bawneen sweater, won't even start hissing, sneering or booing.
"Pierre, Pierre. Paddy is standing to zee attention to elevator music as their national anthem," exclaims Jean Paul to his recently acquired boyfriend.
Some of the Irish fans will sing along, more in defiance than anything. However, many will remain seated and silent in tacit objection to an arrangement which the IRFU has quite literally tried to force down their throats.
Meantime, the official national anthem of the vast majority of people on this island, Amhrán na bhFiann, will not be played in Paris because of the IRFU policy of playing said and Ireland's Call in Dublin but only playing Ireland's Call away from home.
Likewise, some are of the opinion, including yours truly, that this policy hands the hosts a psychological advantage, not to mention being plain wrong.
Speaking to a friend on this subject recently he told me that he attracted derogatory comments at Croke Park last season when he made a point of sitting down during Ireland's Call. He wasn't the only one to sit down. A sizeable percentage of Irish fans attending rugby games are acutely embarrassed by Ireland's Call, I was assured.
The friend told the people taking exception to his sitting position that he didn't want anything to do with Ireland's Call, that he only recognized Amhrán na bhFiann as his national anthem and to basically fuck off.
Cue accusations of not being "inclusive" and not respecting the rights of a small minority on this island, who may or may not have issues with The Soldier's Song.
And what about the players? On Saturday next 15 men will sing Ireland's Call in Paris. However, how would the IRFU react if a player told them that he wasn't singing along to this song, that his national anthem was Amhrán na bhFiann, thank you very much.
Would he be dropped? I reckon he would and I also believe that the players are aware that there is an "obligation" on them to sing along to Ireland's Call or they could be bidding adieu to their international rugby careers.
I don't like that song either but I doubt if any of the players would be dropped for not singing along.
Who said the anthem had to be changed?
In 1995, to rectify the embarrassing situation that occurred during the 1987 World Cup, the Irish Rugby Football Union, embracing the spirit of optimism that followed the paramilitary ceasefires at the time, asked Phil Coulter to pen a new rugby anthem to bridge sectarian and constitutional divides, now we have Ireland's Call for away games and Amhrán na bhFiann & Ireland's Call for home games
.
Remember when the All Blacks did their Haka in the Changing rooms at Millennium Stadium a few years back, coz the Boyos wanted to sing a song after the Haka was performed.
Maybe Ireland could do the same – Sing Amhrán na bhFiann in the Changing Rooms and then come out and ignore the Shoulder to Shoulder Rubbish.
Amhrán na bhFiann is a terrible song.
I always thought the Isle would be a great national anthem.
Fields of Athenry anyone?
I too have never stood for Coulter's lil ditty at any international,what a load of shit from a eurovision,jingle writing muzak merchant.I do not see whay I should stand for a pop song when we already have a national anthem I as an Irish man identify with,how many Northerners are starting on Saturday?we have 2 on the bench…we are giving away a massive advantage to any team we play away.No disrespect to the Ulster players but this is a fact,they will always be in the MINORITY in any selection.The Basques on the French team will sing the French national anthem,it is not up for discussion,in the same way the Basques and Catalans stand for the Spanish national anthem in soccer,no argument from them either.
Look at the incredible pride and passion and unquestioning sense of self the Argentinians display here at the world cup http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRU6PHAnsX8 contrast that with our follow up! a song westlife would be delighted with complete with trademark cheesy flop song key change…..need I remind anyone what happened next?…..A politically correct national fuckin embarrassment!
Coulter is a bastard.
And a ripoff merchant
check it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8Xk38J0cYo
I always make a point of staying seated during this 'anthem'. It's so twee and politically correct.
That song is a bunch of bollox. An embarrassment to our Isle. All you have to do is remember The Bull and Fla crying to the national anthem before we hockeyed the English in Croke Park to realise that Irelands Crawl is utter shite..jeeeesus…
I think most national Anthems are a load of bollox lyrically and musically anyway… apart from the French…there might be an Edith Piaf chanson they could get away with…Ireland's should be that O'Carolan's/Neil back ditty 'Give me your Hand'…or the Everly Bros. 'Ferris Wheel'… Wales should have Shirley Bassey's great rendition of the Manic Street Preacher's 'Girl from Tiger Bay' sung by Gareth Thomas…Scotland should have the Proclaimers 'Five hundred Miles'…England, I don't know?…Cliff singing 'Congratulations' …you were able to win anything at all with that clift of a coach!…it's all miliaristic nonsense at the moment…how about Grainne Seoiga and Amanda Brunker doing a jig to Riverdance for about five minutes in nice tight tops and mini-skirts…all done in the best possible taste…now that would get the lads going!…downside would be the opposition would be pretty hard after that rendition as well…you can't win
"The Isle" would be great sung with gusto but I can't see the Young Munsters lads taking part – it would stick in their craws..
Anthems are mostly drivel, but do rally the troops. (Bayonne, who I follow on the odd occasion, have their own club anthem for which they all stand!) I think 'Ireland's Call' is particularly bad drivel.
Jesus Ian, I though that was Boyzone for a minute.Fuck Pauleire, those Argentina in lads are in the zone. It's worth a try almost, throw in a conversion and a drop goal also. I'd agree the our present anthem
is not the greatest.However, it's ours, it's Irish, it's a call too arms, as opposed to the other thingy, which is a call to sit down and throw up. Shannon use the Isle, which is of Scottish origin. Great piece. Shannon always do credit to it. I like the Bok one, post apartheid, It has a beautiful air. The Boks share similarities to us in this respect, given the politics However, in the context of rugby the Boks are in the majority, as opposed to our fellow estranged Irishmen, who are neither in the majority oval ball wise or numericaly wise on this island. King's Bard is righy about the Isle and YM having issues however.
The Boks anthem is a compromise. They sing Nkosi Sikelele, which is a hymn written by a Methodist minister in Zambia and is used by other countries as well, then halfway through change to Die Stem. I was at Croke Park in November sitting in a block where there were lots of Afrikaaners and they were silent through the first half and then launched into Die Stem and there seemed to audible singing from all around the ground.
Seconds, I don't think anyone is disagreeing with you. When we play our own anthem it gives us such a boost IMO. Look at when they played the anthems in Croker against England 2007. That was amazing, it was total respect for theirs and then Amhran na Bfhiann belted out by 80,000. That was worth about 20 points to us that day. I love that youtube clip of the anthems from the BBC and to hear Brian Moore saying after Amhran na Bfhiann "I've got a lump in my throat from that." He says that at 2.24 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ6-bYixpYE.
Then they have to put in that Coulter crap. Usually I'm a live and let live guy, but I think he should be jailed for crimes against music.
And don't get me started on the fuckers rolling out some 3rd rate X factor wannabe to "sing" the anthem. Fuck off and let the people sing it, it's much more powerful that way. Stick the anthem up on the screens and then let those that don't know the words sing along. The IRFU and GAA are the worst for this kind of PR crap IMO.
Mark I get a bit nervous when people start agreeing with me. So does the Ed I believe. It just sounds unnatural, like.Meantime, I agree totally with your wheeling in some pro singer for the etc. We all have to stay quite. Best leave the crowd sing it so we have the opportunity to go "puuuuuuuuuushing Conney (hold that Y) round the fieeeeeeeeeld." Up Tipp! Or Up Downas they say in Norn Iron.
The army band used to do a better job on Amhran na bhFiann than the Garda Band. The rolling drums make it much more warlike.(Can we maybe blame Bertie for that??)
@secondsout: I’m not a fan of "Ireland's Call" either, it is unfortunately insipid and I agree, confers an advantage to the opposition. It is dirt and should be replaced … but there is a need for, yes, an inclusive song. What’s your issue with 'inclusivity'; what you seem to be proposing, the exclusivity of the majority, is as scary as ‘Ireland’s Call’ is shit.
The exclusivity of the majority can also be referred to as democracy Diarmo, the tyranny of the most over the few I know. But it's the best we've got. Maybe there should be a vote on this issue amongst Irish rugby fans.
In post-'troubles' Ireland do you really think 'Amhran na bhFiann' alone is an appropriate anthem for an 'all-Ireland' team (regardless of how few, if any, Ulster players are on the squad – there are many Ulster supporters)? Just to reiterate, I agree with much of what you say about 'Ireland's Call' being insipid but reject, and I could be taking you up wrong on this, that there needs to be no concessions made to our Northern brethren.
I believe that our Northern brethern should sumbit to the will of the majority of people on this island on this issue – based on the assumtion that there would be a landside majorty vote for Amhran na bhFiann if there was a vote.
Fair enough, I guess thats where we disagree. There are plenty of things the majority of people in Ireland are in favour of that I'm not (voting Fianna Fail and support for Jedward are two that come immediately to mind).
I can't understand why everyone is agin poor Jedward myself. Two lovely lads they are.
http://bocktherobber.com/2009/11/jedward-factor
My kids like Ireland's call.
Having every teacher foist it upon them as our "National Anthem" during the last Rugby World Cup would probably help explain that Sniffle. No wonder the gods of music smote us……and don't get me started on that fucking carpet they use as an "all-inclusive " flag, it's like something knocked off from Carroll's Irish Souvenir shop…..I mean how could you walk up and pay for something that tacky?.
As for that ear-aching abomination. Personally, I head out to the pub jax and put on the hand-drier for the two minutes or so that Coulters Cawl takes up. At a stadium, I just sit down and wonder why the fuck people are standing to attention, belting out that cringe-inducing europop ditty.
Hats off to the captains of Political Correctness – yet another example of brainwashing people into thinking they're being so right on and "inclusive". Can we take it the Orangistas will now play Ulsters' …sorry "Oireland's call" during the upcoming Marching Season? Seeing as they're all so in love again up there now that more money is on the way, maybe they'll play Coulters Call while treading their way down the Garvahy Road thisi year.
As for the real stuff. Ireland to win by 7 pts. Keith Earls for a try. Then we'll sing proper songs all night.
The hand drier ablow (as they say) in the D&D is rhe loudest I ever heard Mr Hoof, sound like a dam landmower when it starts up, perfect for avoiding above. Good point about the boys marching down the Gervaghy.
I've been in on this subject before and was rubbished by the blogmeister as a benny, whatever that means ,but I stand by my opinion that the Irish National Anthem doesn't need to take second place to any of the others. And I agree with Mark, put the words up on the screen and let the people sing it. Nothing raises the goose bumps like fifty or sixty thousand voices giving it their all.
"The Soldiers Song"is a call to arms admittedly but a call to arms against the English,the point is moot when considering the progress this island has made socially and politically in the last number of years.Looks more like a continual struggle for identity on the parts of these Northerners than what has lead to a struggle for identity come tune time for the boys.
What have the Williamites to worry about anymore? maybe we should ask Davy Tweed for a solution,or ask the Claw about Tweed's tattoo and having to share a room with him. Not as much of a fuss made about that one as what was made about the Cronje incident by the other rangys but again,that's for another day, and the IRFU for that matter.
Sleeveens are we, who pledge our lives to money, (shopping verse 2)True 21st century patriotism- maybe the lyrics could be updated. Good point re Irelands Call by the Sniffmeister, the kids love it. However I feel Cool Philter could have given us a better tune. Maybe one of his Bay City Rollers songs like Shang a Lang 0r Slan slan babog.
how about they play the irish anthem followed by gopd save the queen for every game then everyone is happy :)
Pity ye don't seem to have the imagination to pen your own anthem up that direction ulster1,the Scottish and Welsh can manage it.
The only problem is that they don't play GSTQ for Wales or Scotland games because it's the anthem of the United Kingdom, and therefore the NI boys — as opposed to Ulster which also includes Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan — would be getting special treatment.
The English boxing team always stand to attenion – in Dublin anyway – to Land of Hope and Glory.
more inane drivel on this subject. Any chance of a few imaginative or creative ideas?. Take it as read both Irelands Call and Amhran na bhfain don`t work as unifying Irish Rugby supporters.
a 26 county team with our own anthem,will never make much of a difference to the line up anyway.
Pauliere. Free State Rugby? Blue shirts instead of Green?. The subject is Irish Rugby. Historically Ulster have provided as many if not more great players than any other province.
I would hate to see it to be honest Mel but we have a major problem with the vast majority of our players not being sufficiently fired up come kick off because we are making concessions to the vast minority wherein we are conceding a significant advantage to all opposition.It really is time to bring back amhran na bhFiann away from home.The Ulster branch should just bite the bullet and get on with it,absolutely no pun intended!!!
The wheels nearly fell off the chariot in the Eternal City this afternoon, beat the English in London and all will be forgiven.
Tommy Bowe is from Ulster but not from Northern Ireland.
The idea that the anthem makes any difference to the team's performance is sentimental drivel. They're professional sportsmen, not a bunch of drunken wannabes sitting in the pub. They can sing whatever the fuck they like, but it's not going to make Tomas O'Leary get his fucking arse into forward gear and get the ball the fuck out of the ruck before the French drive him into the mud. Ireland were shite, as they were against Italy, as they always are in Paris. End of story. It's got fuck all to do with the little ditty they bang out at the start, and everything to do with their ability and their game plan. They didn't believe they could win in Paris, and guess what? They were right.
Marchons! Marchons!
And anyway, Amhrán na bhFiann is a crap anthem. It's failing is that it doesn't rise gloriously to a triumphant crescendo; it meanders along, limply alluding to some supposed valour, but it chickens out at the business end when enemies need to be slaughtered, butchered and blooded to irrigate the fertile fields of mother Ireland. Bit close to the bone, perhaps; especially with our Northern cousins in attendance and all. So we have to settle for this lame attempt at an anthem.
I agree that Ireland's Call is not worthy of being recylced as an Eircom jingle; and putting the two together just compounds the ignominy, but what are you gonna do in a pluralist state? We had our little experiment with the catholics running the show and the country got buggered up.
So just let it go. Sing 'All Kinds of Everything' for all I care, just get the ball away from the breakdown faster and don't fucking knock it on. Play like you give a shit.
Do you reckon the Haka is pointless CJ? Anthropologists say the ancient Maori war dance is one of the first instances they can find of psychological warfare
New Zealand is the only country in the world that's allowed to ritually insult its opponents as part of the game. What's that all about? Why aren't they told to fuck off and shove their Haka?
IPartly translated below. It would remind you of Ireland's call…… the hairly men are Young Munster fans, the ladder is refering to the ladder used in the back garden of some Ballynanty houses adjacent to Thomond Park. One pound in the old days and your were in and the sun shines.
Ka mate, ka mate
Ka ora, ka ora
Tenei te tangata puhuruhuru
Nana i tiki mai whakawhiti te ra
Upane, upane
Upane kaupane
Whiti te ra.
These words are translated as:
It is death, it is death
It is life, it is life
This is the hairy man
Who caused the sun to shine again for me
Up the ladder, up the ladder
Up to the top
The sun shines.
Ok. Since no one else will say it – here's the elephant in the room. The Irish rugby team consists of players from two countries. Each country with it's own distinct culture and identity. We , in the Republic of Ireland, have to respect the views and sentiments of those in Northern Ireland, and if that means having to endure Phil's ditty then so be it. If the sentiments of 'Fuck the Prods, they should accept majority rule' expressed by pauleire and others sound familiar it's because they the same views expressed by Unionists in the North in the bad old days in regard to their Nationalist brethren. Perhaps a solution might be if Northern Ireland came up with an anthem, the Scots and Welsh have theirs, and use that instead of Ireland's Call.
Pauleire-Pity to fuck that your pals in charge of the twenty six counties didn't make a better job of it. Instead they reverted to the old psuedo mationalist, corrupt, me-feinery. The ROI should come up with a new anthem to reflect the achievements of the current generation. Something to the strains of Mise Eire, the crescendo sounding to the noise of the country going down the plug hole.
Eire Nua
Comh glic is mise is Euro im phoca
Na mile ti a diol me do na daoine oga
Agus is cuma liom anois
Cen reilg a dtogtar!
Anybody hear The Barnhall halfwit on the Mooney show today. What a wanker.
Are you talking about Trevor?
Bollocks to the Haka. I don't think the All Blacks win because of the Haka. They win because winning is beaten into every 5 year old Kiwi and representing the All Blacks is the highest honour imaginable. And when they lose the country goes into recession. They want to win like nothing else matters. And so the country produces legendary players who are tough and fast and physical and smart. We just have a lot fewer players like they do.
You can't take a mediocre bunch of players, who care because their match bonus is riding on a win, and expect them to win by getting them to sing a different song before the game. It just doesn't matter that much. Anyone who has played rugby at senior level and had to make those late-game tackles or chase back after a long kick or heave the scrum when you've not got an ounce of strenght left knows it. Ireland has the best team we've ever had, but it's not about fucking songs. Let it go, and let's talk about rugby.
New Zealand without the Haka,Hamlet without the Prince, you can't be serious.
Clever Trevor, one and the same.
This country has always been afraid of not being seen as inclusive. It's political correctness gone mad. Ireland's Call has always embarrassed me. I sit for it or a turn away. I'm pretty sure an Irish player would be punished for refusing to take part in the Ireland's Call line up. That's just a shocker. An Irish man exercising a valid point would be sacrificed so Ireland can be called inclusive! I cry for this sad, vile unfunny joke of a pseudo-anthem and for the people who dont know the importance and difference between a song and a national anthem. Ireland fought to have an anthem of their own once…I dispose my hatred of this PC gone wrong stance. Ireland's Call is not my national anthem or yours. What about my want/right to hear my anthem when my country are playing?
When did Amhrán na bhFiann become the anthem of all Ireland?
When it was written in 1907 by Peadar Kearney
It was formally adopted as the National Anthem in 1926
Also important to note that the first 4 bars and the last 4 make up the Presidential Salute.
Anyone got a bull's notion what it's about?
I've had to, on the odd occasion, mouth a few of the syllables, to make it appear that I knew what I was singing. I know, I know.. tis bad.
I always got a list lost after the Sinne Fianna Fail bit.. A taaaaa something something. Most of the rugby players haven't a bulls notion either.
@ FFI – I don't agree that most of the Rugby players haven't a bulls notion either. In fact you will see most of the players singing the National Anthem with a lot more gusto then that piece of shit ' Ireland, Ireland, so good they name it twice' etc etc.
You can easily find the Gaelic and English versions of the Anthem on the internet, If you wish to.
"I always got a list lost " ha. That was meant to be a bit lost.
I'm only messin Long John.. I know it. But I reckon a lot don't.
"that piece of shit ' Ireland, Ireland, so good they name it twice".
Is that the one that goes, Ireland Ireland, never ever never say no.. give it a lash Jack, Ole Ole. That's not bad in fairness.
Most national anthems are a bif naff in fairness.. e.g. god save the queen.
I know. But is it the anthem of the 32 counties?
See comment 46. plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose