NI football national anthem
According to the News Letter Phil Coulter who wrote Ireland’s Call is open to writing a new song for the Northern Ireland football team. Unsurprisingly the suggestion of a new anthem appears to have somewhat polarised political opinion though Kenney Donaldson of the UUP seems to have started the proposal. Of course if God Save the Queen was replaced for the NI football team, it might set a precedent for other sporting organisations as suggested here on Ulster Times.
Well like I said in an earlier thread its all about chipping away at the core of unionism and dividing it.
Does Unionism accept or reject it?
Doesnt really matter.
Its not gonna encourage a single SF voter to go to Windsor Park (not that they want SF voters there anyway) and its not gonna discourage a single talented Catholic footballer from playing for the Republic if he has his mind set on it.
U2 for the new GAA anthem? They played Croke Park more times than a lot of county players.
How can Rugby follow the IFA’s example? They are already quite far ahead of the IFA in these matters.
Why does it need an anthem when it’s not really a country?
The suggestion is bad enough, but Phil Coulter? They could have asked Keith Richards, Jerry Lee Lewis or Jimmy Page. Do they really want a dirge for an anthem? Or is it a cunning ploy aimed at actually keeping God Save The Queen?
“Yes, we tried to find an alternative, but the only one on offer was a dirge”
what, somebody doesn’t like the Sex Pistols?
Forget the fact that NI uses God save the Queen. The fact that our football anthem is also the British National anthem is irrelevant in that context.
The broader issue is that we don’t have our OWN local anthem for football etc, and this is also an issue for England. Perhaps the way forward is to consider whether God save the Queen should be played separately (if at all) as the British National Anthem, and to have separate anthems to identify Northern Ireland and England, in the same way as Flower of Scotland and Land of my Fathers are used by Scotland and Wales.
ie, if the sporting team does not represent at least two constituent countries of the UK, they should not be using God save the Queen in lieu of a local anthem as used by Scotland and Wales.
Get a life, Andy. Wales – a country, Scotland – a country, England – a country, This shitty little sectarian carve up is a bit of Ireland presently held by force majeure …… British force majeure.
Leave it as it is.
The NI soccer team is a Unionist entity. Nothing to be gained by changing the anthem.
Nationalists who choose to attend/follow, are going out of their way to be ‘offended’ are not worth stressing over.
Everyone else will follow the Republic’s team anyway.
I vote for the theme tune from the old Crazy Prices adverts.
Anyone disagree with this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QTZcUXv1F8&feature=related
the lyrics say it all
OR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_c5QcmkAww&feature=related
socaire
I was only making a suggestion if it had to change. We need some music while we look at the tricolour before the game.
lol at socaire, I think you’ll find Northern Ireland is actually one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom. You might not like that fact, but not admitting it doesn’t make it change.
Phil Coulter. Dear God, well itg cant be as bad as Irelands Call I suppose, maybe he has learnt from that disaster.
Why do they not just play Danny Boy. There you a world recognised song that is actually quite good
What about 30 seconds of silence preceded by an announcement “This pleasant interlude is brought to you by (insert your favorite company).”
What about ‘Wake me up before you go, go’?
This is a matter for supporters and not for McNarry, Paisley Junior or any other politico who hasn’t darkened the door of Windsor Park.
This is a matter for the unionist community, as it only really affects them.
What about Talking Heads – Road To Nowhere.
I think Northern Ireland should have its own national anthem like Scotland and Wales do. I also think we should have a new flag that is acceptable to all parts of the community.
I would never expect people to switch their allegiances immediately from ROI to NI. When you support a football team it is usually for life. But in the future, who knows.
There are already many Irish catholics whom while supporting the ROI like to see NI do well in their games.
Nothing wrong with Londonderry Air/Danny Boy.
Jud’s correct. This is entirely a matter for NI supporters. I’ve already got a flag and an anthem, thanks very much.
The comments here show the the concept of a NI state is a joke. Internationally, there is no reason why England, Scotland, Wales and the the sectarian Orange backwater surrounding Belfast should each have their own team. Having one’s cake (or crumbs in the case of the No Lennons need apply team).
this has all come from the “poaching” debate imo. lol. i really dont care. it is a team i have no time for. they can do what they like. as dec said i already have a flag and anthem for my international team thank you very much. this whole thing has come around from windsor park realising that the floodgates are now open for more darron gibsons to play for the republic, and now NI soccer is trying to reverse this. lol! well good luck to you lads. i think you’ll need it! ha ha.
i said it before and i shall say it again, most catholics/nationalists/republicans support the 32 county team (thats the republic) no matter what the IFA try, it is not going to change.
again best of luck lol
As nationalists do not care about the NI soccer team, why don’t the NI fans use ‘We Care Alot’ by Faith No More as their anthem. Hell, I’d even go to Windsor to see the crowd belting that out !
Have to agree that as a Nationalist there’s little point. It’s as unlikely for me to change my allegiance football wise, as it is unlikely that NI fans would flock south if they removed the Irish national anthem from ROI games. Having said that if there were to be suggestions I’d go with Teenage Kicks. Get the blood up a bit ye know.
[quote]Get a life, Andy. Wales – a country, Scotland – a country, England – a country, This shitty little sectarian carve up is a bit of Ireland presently held by force majeure …… British force majeure. [/quote]
Actually no Wales is not a country is a principality.
Garza
You are one smart boyo!
garza ,
‘ I think Northern Ireland should have its own national anthem like Scotland and Wales do. ‘
So do I but instead of farting around and coming up with an awful concoction like a Northern Ireland’s ‘call’ equivalent why not use what’s already well known and popular . The ‘anthem ‘ would have to be like NI’s government a sort of mandatory song sharing .
The anthem would have two verses or sections . The first section would be the Sash a great and blood warming tune and the second verse or part would be “A Nation once Again’ also a great and stirring tune .
In the event of the ‘demographics ‘ changing from majority ‘unionist’ to majority ‘nationalist the NI anthem could be reversed thus ‘A Nation Once Again ‘ would be played first .
Booing and hissing and non injurious missile throwing ( seat cushions not bottles or stones) would be permitted during the anthem . Each section of the crowd be they Orange or Green would thus be able to drown out the other ‘side’s anthem during the performance.
The entire performance anthem complete with booing and hissings from all sides could be burned on disc and sent to NASA and placed on the next deep space probe destined to leave the solar system .
At some point eons hence in a far off part of the universe long after the earth has become a burnt cinder in an expanded Sol somebody may play said disc and know finally that intelligent life did not exist at least in some parts of the galaxy
Bavarian OO. The GSTQ anthem is a perfect example of a dirge. It drones on and on. {leaving aside from this the sentiments in it.] The Scots and Welsh both have rousing anthems which are accepted by the people of those countries, [and both were countries at some stage in history. N. Ireland never was at any point since it’s creation, a nation either in it’s own right or as part of the UK. It’s flag was only the official flag of the corrupt govt which ran it until Ted Heath put it out of it’s misery in 1972.Since the Good Friday Agreement, NI’s status is ‘until demographic changes’. This can bring it to an end at any time in principle [although in practice, I don’t expect to see any change in my remainig time.
ardmaj
You do realise that Ireland (as a whole island) has never been a country at all in history??
Wales was never a united country under one ruler. Ireland was.
garza [7] I know that, Garza. Only since 1921 has 85% of the island been a country. That changes nothing of my post above, though. it merely adds information to it.
dmcoop
Are you talking about an English ruler or the very brief reign of Brian Boru?
If the latter, Ireland was an unified independent country for a whole 12 years. I’m sure the Isle of Man managed more than that. It was also unified by the point of the sword rather than a sense of Irishness. And ironically the people who opposed unification were the catholic ulstermen lol.
Was Ireland really ever one country? Aside from when it was all in the UK?
Bit lazy to copy from Wiki but :
The Kingdom of Ireland was the name given to the Irish state from 1542, by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 of the Parliament of Ireland. It was based on the contested legitimacy of the right of conquest. The new monarch replaced the Lordship of Ireland, which had been created in 1171. King Henry VIII thus became the first recognised King of Ireland since 1169. The separate Kingdom of Ireland ceased to exist when Ireland joined with the Kingdom of Great Britain to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801
Im sorry but creation of a title (especially one held by an outside ruler) doesn’t make a country.
There was a High King of Ireland (before the Norman invasion) but he was a king in name only, had very little power over the 4 warlords of Ireland, who took it turns to be High King.
Looking back in Irish history I’m always striked at how different Ulster people were in contrast to the rest of the island. They were always against the run of the mill. Seems some things never change. Must have been the heavy Scottish influence on them. After the people of Dal Riada (the Scots) origins come from Ulster, not Scotland.
10.) “I’m sure the Isle of Man managed more than that.”
Sounds a bit patronising considering that the Isle of Man’s Parliament is the oldest continuously existing such body in the world.
However… I would generally agree with many in this thread – I already have a team, a flag and a rousing chorus. (I would love to see an all-Ireland team though.)
When I was younger I supported NI, but after witnessing the blatant sectarianism on display at a match and following the Neil Lennon incident I quickly stored my NI jersey at the bottom of my wardrobe. So in my opinion a change in the NI football anthem will not cause a diffusion of RoI fans to Windsor Park, however a change in the attitude of certain NI fans might.
It depends what your definition of country is, when did India become a country or New Zealand or the US?
After the Act of Union Ireland was certainly a constituent country of the UK, like Scotland and England (Wales was never considered a separate country).
To repeat – if we are going to have a local anthem, then there is no point in coming up with some new nonsense from Phil Coulter. This unionist would be quite happy with Londonderry Air. Never mind appeasing nationalists – this would also bring us into line with the Scotland and Wales teams. England should also get their own anthem and stop using the one of the UK.
“Danny Boy” would be great. Be good to hear Windsor Park singing that line “kneel and say an “Ave” there for me.”.
It would be important to wait until Phil Coulter was dead before even considering the question.
But don’t ever do it in tho hope of winning the support of nationalists. I have huge admiration for the loyalty NI fans showed during that record breaking losing streak and I wish them well when not playing Ireland.
We already use Londonderry Air for the Commonwealth games btw. We could of course keep the Londonderry Air tune, but use other lyrics than “Danny Boy” (though Danny Boy seems fine to me).
I’m 100% behind the calls for a change of anthem. I’m a unionist yet I don’t find the anthem very inspiring and I don’t feel disloyal in saying that. Not one bit!
Whenever NI won a gold medal at the Commonwealth games I felt quite proud to hear the Londonderry Air played. It was good to see boxers who came from nationlist backgrounds not looking embarrassed after receiving their gold medals, by having to stand for an anthem they didn’t like or respect. Take a look at the unionist players when the Soldiers Song is played at rugby internationals in Dublin. Do they look inspired and patriotic? No, just embarrassed. So how can we expect players from a nationlist background to be inspirsed by GSTQ.
Presbyterian minister and NI supporter David Montgomery penned new lyrics for the Londonderry Air last year in the hope that they could be used for a new anthem , so there is no need for Phil Coulter to write anything.
It’s time people on this island wake up and realise that anthems and flags are divisive. The IRFU are half way there and when they stop using the Soldiers Song they will have a team that everybody can get 100% behind. Hopefully the IFA can give us something which is Northern Irish and inspiring like the Rev. David Mongomery’s anthem.
I also read David McNarry’s comments in the News Letter last week regarding a new anthem. Is this clampet really the UUP’s spokesperson on culture, sport and leisure?
Dewi, Dewi, Dewi. Where are you when the ‘principality’ needs you?
Let the Orange men that control the IFA choose the new Anthem.
They control the Unionist political parties and the IFA so really lets get rid of the hypocracy and just let the Orange men choose the Anthem.
The anthem will not change, the fans wont let it happen just like they did not let the maze happen, as for players from “here” playing for somewhere else, If and when the ifa get off their ass and take this issue to the euro (football arbitration court)it will also be stopped and the normal rules as apply to every other eufa member shall also apply to the ifa/fai, ps good luck to shane duffy his dad (or maybe grandad)was from the south and under proper eufa rules can play for either team, Also if nigel had put him on the pitch after taking the lad to italy he would have been an N.I. player done and dusted.
“Dewi, Dewi, Dewi. Where are you when the ‘principality’ needs you?”
Yeah Garza cut that out please…
“Wales was never a united country under one ruler. Ireland was”
Gruffudd ap Llywelyn from c1057 – 1063.
Vanguard
“So in my opinion a change in the NI football anthem will not cause a diffusion of RoI fans to Windsor Park, however a change in the attitude of certain NI fans might”
I couldn’t agree more. Having witnessed the blatent sectarianism at Windsor Park in the 70s + 80s at first hand, I would never support the North and I suspect the vast majority of Catholics of my generation would agree.
While it is true (IMO) that the vast majority of Catholics won’t support NI – the IFA still needs to fully eradicate sectarianism. I accept that a lot has been done (especially after the Neil Lennon incident forced their hand) however there are still sectarian elements in the NI support – if you read some of the more honest commentators on “Our Wee Country” – they admit that.
Instead of whinging and crying about Catholic players choosing the RoI over NI and trying to stupidly deny them their right to Irish citizenship – they would be better off trying to eradicate the factors that make Catholics uncomfortable.
There is no doubt that GSTQ (and the loud mandatory “No Surrender”) is one of those factors.
Personally I would much rather than any talented players eligible for the RoI choose them above NI or anyone else.
However, from a pragmatic perspective, if the IFA + NI Supporters want to retain GSTQ – good luck to them. However, don’t come on and whine when Catholics/Nationalists choose to support and/or play for the RoI.
Whether or not NI fans like it, GSTQ is an issue for Catholics/Nationalists. Changing it won’t have a seismic effect on Catholic\Nationalist support – I’m not claiming that.
However, if they retain it, I think that things (from their point of view) will get worse. The number of Catholic\Nationalist players opting for the RoI will simply increase.
The ball is in the court of the IFA/NI Supporters. Frankly I don’t care – I just don’t want to listen to their pathetic whinging if they choose to take no action and then seem stunned when nothing changes.