What is our/ Irish peoples obsession with The Fields Of Athenry song? It's a nice song to sing yes.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121177327#Comment_121177327

The Fields of Athenry doesn't glorify paramilitaries.

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121177333#Comment_121177333

When IRA is inserted in to it, it turns more sinister. We were also talking about the "Uh ah, Up the Ra" chants by sports teams.

If the N. Irish or Scottish team was chanting UVF or UDA, or inserting that in to loyalist songs, would you think that was right?

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121177365#Comment_121177365

You can insert IRA/SF into any song you want...here it is in a familiar song:

2. The nations, not so blest as thee,

Must, in their turns, to tyrants fall;

While thou shalt flourish great and free,

The dread and envy of them all.

“Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:

“Britons never will be slaves.

Ohh Ah Up The RA

Is Rule Britannia a paramilitary song now?

No, it isn't Francis.

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121177405#Comment_121177405

No it is not, it is a song with a reference to the IRA which does not fit in. IRA words / chants are much more likely to be inserted in to songs stirring anti-British feeling / dragging up old memories of the famine etc. As is the case.

How come I answer your questions but you do not answer mine. For example:

If the N. Irish or Scottish team was chanting UVF or UDA, or inserting that in to loyalist songs, would you think that was right?

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121177435#Comment_121177435

If the N. Irish or Scottish team was chanting UVF or UDA, or inserting that in to loyalist songs, would you think that was right?

I did answer this. Read carefully:

If you do something to deliberately taunt that is wrong.

Seriously, stop calling out things that have been answered. It's tedious.

References to the IRA/SF does not fit into the Fields Of Athenry, they didn't exist at the time.

And besides the Fields Of Athenry is not about paramilitaries it doesn't even express any violent towards the British Crown for sending a young woman's husband away to Australia for the stealing of some corn.

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121177468#Comment_121177468

But you think singing loyalist sings are designed to taunt, so you condemn them of course.

Obviously when you condone sports teams chanting Uh Ah Up the RA, you refuse to condemn that because you say it is not designed to taunt. Tough luck if one of the girls on the team had a family friend or whatever killed or mained by the IRA, or just did not agree with the 'RA.

You are tallking in circles Francie, it is tedious your hypocracy.

Of course the pIRA did not exist at the time the fields of Athenry refers to, but why do you think Martin Ferris and others react with fist pumps to the insertion of IRA and SF in to the song, "Fields of Athenry"?

I suppose it is not surprising when you condone one set of paramilitaries but condemn those on the other side. Most decent people condemn both.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121177507#Comment_121177507

If Loyalists want to sing songs, as long as it doesn't deliberately taunt people I have not the slightest problem. Sing away to your heart's content.

I have said, read carefully again: We have to arrive at a place where people are allowed to commemorate their dead and celebrate their version of a divided history.

That means we all have to make allowances for each others past.

If you don't do that you are condemned to a lifetime of being offended.

Manufacturing offence like you have done over the song in the thread title is absolutely despicable behaviour.

blanch152

It is most certainly true that if a united Ireland is ever to happen (and I don't think it will) the element of triumphalism in a lot of music will have to change. Not only in music, but if you are truly interested in reconciliation (and I believe our resident Shinnerbots are not - we all know who they are), then you will be taking steps to play down and reduce tensions. Anyone interested in a united island in the true sense will not be promoting songs that divide.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121179476#Comment_121179476

How do our resident partitionists propose these songs are not sung?

We vote for a UI, do you tell Unionists their 12th has to be held in silence?

Because surely you are not saying only nationalists have to forget their songs? Are you?

I don’t need to be fascistic or totalitarian. People can sing away to their hearts content just don’t deliberately taunt.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121179476#Comment_121179476

Thinking about this comment overnight and it is clear to me that there are those among us who will seek to destroy any examples of accommodation, inclusiveness and respect between two communities that has been achieved here.

They don't want examples of how it might work (easily work in the case of rugby) that can be pointed to ahead of their nightmare - a Border Poll.

They will invent dis-comfort that doesn't exist, point to mythical people telling them they are excluded by songs and flags.

It's sinister orchestration, nothing more.

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121179527#Comment_121179527

Unionists do not sing their songs at international football / rugby matches. Huge difference.

Unionists do not in their thousands chant "Uh Ah Up the RA" or insert UVF in to songs. Huge difference.

Look at what happens at Celtic-Rangers matches.   Many would say that the Fields of Athenry, which is about the famine / British brutality in Ireland, is of course anti-British due to a reference about rebelling against the Crown, and look on it as viscous and racist. Celtic fans inserting the reference to IRA and SF in to the song - as they often do - just politicises it further, its words deepen the divide between the Catholic Celtic supporters and Protestant Rangers fans.

Rugby is a fine example of accommodation, inclusiveness and respect between two communities that has been achieved here. It is a shame some would try to insult and disrespect the Protestant members of the Rugby team from up North, and their supporters, by singing a song exclusively associated with Celtic. If I was a unionist from N.I. I would not like Celtic songs being sung at Irish International rugby matches.

If that is the sort of respect we give people from the unionist tradition in N.I., it is difficult not to see their point that they would be assimilated, with no respect for their traditions, in a U.I.

Anyway Francie, this is my last post on this thread, as even the thread title is biased. "It's a nice song to sing yes".

You are not going to see the other peoples point of view when you condone one set of paramilitaries but condemn those on the other side. Most decent people condemn both.

N.B. Rebelling against the Crown / Rebelling against the British, same difference. Many is the time the pIRA murdered some retired part time farmer in N.I. because he once worked for the Crown, or voted for the Crown.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121184332#Comment_121184332

rebelling against the Crown,

Finally you got it. The 'Crown' who brutalised people. Which is accepted by everyone.

'Fields Of Athenry is 'vicious and racist'

😁 😁😁

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121184332#Comment_121184332

Editing the post after it has been answered? Wow.

Are you saying @Francis McM that the guy in the song should have been thankful for being deported and sent away from his family because he stole some corn?

Seems to be, that is what you are saying.

Those with zero issues with this song at rugby and football matches clearly have more empathy than you and even the Unionists there are not as hidebound and defensive of the actions of the British crown here.

You have to fabricate their offence.

Greyfox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121184332#Comment_121184332

Thank god that this is your last post, I was wondering when you'd stop talking nonsense about FOA, one of the best things Ireland has ever produced. You are the only person in the world that finds the correct version of the song offensive.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121185214#Comment_121185214

The detractors got caught manufacturing outrage and orchestrating Greyfox.

Low lies their credibility.

FrancieBrady

Was reading a bit of the Twitter debate (such as it is) around the singing of Zombie at large events like the Rugby and Feile Na Phobail in Belfast.

The big take-away is also evident in this thread i.e. the inability to interpret artistic works correctly.

The Fields of Athenry is not 'anti British or vicious or racist' as claimed, that is just a completely irrational and unsustainable (by the lyric) point of view. It isn't in the lyric it is projected onto it in other words, in order to sell a narrative. A narrative intended to divide.

Zombie is an issue for those in the republican/nationalist community if you pretend it is a song about Warrington. It isn't, it is a song inspired by Warrington.

There is a massive difference.

If you try the fallacy that the author was taking a shot at one community you are completely disrespecting the piece of art. Republicans will reject the idea, all day long, that they are the only Zombies and rightly so, the conflict/war had many combatants across the barricades.

Zombie and the FoA are anti-war/conflict songs.

I think it is excellent and hopeful that they can be sung by mixed crowds on this island. Long may it continue.

There will be many who will try to use art to divide but the quality of the art will win at the end of the day.

crusd

People at group events tend to sing songs with a strong chorus that is easily remembered. That is the reason. Simple as.

Other Irish Ballads such as Grace, the Foggyy Dew, Raglan Road et al while good sing song tunes do not lend themselves easily to a chant.

You'll never Walk Alone is another shite song the leads itself to being sung en mass due the hook in the chorus

SteM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058315120/what-is-our-irish-peoples-obsession-with-the-fields-of-athenry-song-its-a-nice-song-to-sing-yes

It was about when everyone was leaving the Country during the Famine yes.

I haven't read the whole thread but I'm sure someone has brought up that this song was written in the 70's, so no it wasn't about when everyone was leaving the country during the famine.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187730#Comment_121187730

I agree wholeheartedly.

A crowd singing FoA or Zombie at a sporting occasion are being as political as a crowd singing Óle Óle 😁

I was talking about the creation and interpretation of those songs and how people use them being sung to their own political ends.

For those thinking they are being sung politically at these events massive projection and wilful mis-interpretation of the lyric is required.

its_steve116

https://youtube.com/watch?v=KLVq0IAzh1A

Fields of Gold is a better song.

HalloweenJack

I much prefer 'A Nation Once Again' myself.