Do you know the Irish national anthem? Why/Why not?

02-07-2016 11:23AM #1

Simple question (OK, two simple questions).
Can you sing, recite, or at least write down the words to our national anthem in either English or Irish? If you can't then why not? If you can, then where did you learn it?

I can't. The reason being no one ever deemed it necessary to teach it to me in school. Like most people I spent 13 years in primary and secondary education. None of my teachers in any class or lesson, not Irish, not history, not civics, not anything, ever once made any attempt to teach it. On finding out I didn't know it, no one expressed any interest that I should.

It was never a requirement for any exam or curriculum. Therefore by age 17 and leaving secondary school I therefore saw no reason why I should try and do it myself when nobody else was ever bothered.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 02-07-2016 11:24AM

No. They did try and teach me, but they tired to teach me in Irish so at that point it became an Irish lesson.

Plus I don't particulalry care for nationalism anyway, so have no interest in it.

02-07-2016 11:25AM

misterbizmuth wrote: »

Simple question (OK, two simple questions).
Can you sing, recite, or at least write down the words to our national anthem in either English or Irish? If you can't then why not? If you can, then where did you learn it?

I can't. The reason being no one ever deemed it necessary to teach it to me in school. Like most people I spent 13 years in primary and secondary education. None of my teachers in any class or lesson, not Irish, not history, not civics, not anything, ever once made any attempt to teach it. On finding out I didn't know it, no one expressed any interest that I should.

It was never a requirement for any exam or curriculum. Therefore by age 17 and leaving secondary school I therefore saw no reason why I should try and do it myself when nobody else was ever bothered.

Have you ever learned anything for yourself?
Have you learned anything since you left school?

I don't know it, cos I don't care. Don't need to sing it. I can play it on kettle drums though.
If I cared, I'd just learn it now

holy guacamole · 02-07-2016 11:26AM

Can sing it, but my singing might be interrupted by the occasional spell of mumbling at certain points.

Learned it in primary school, can vividly recall having to sing it as a class every day while in 6th class.

alchemist33 · 02-07-2016 11:26AM

I learned it when I went to the Gaeltacht and its stuck ever since. Unfortunately due to repeated singing without reading the words, the words themselves have become a bit of a blur!

Jimmy Bottlehead · 02-07-2016 11:27AM

I know the basic humming and grunting noises to get through it.

Speedwell · 02-07-2016 11:27AM

I'm an immigrant and a musician, and it bugged me that I didn't know the national anthem. All I know is the tune, though. Nobody around here is interested in teaching a middle-aged American woman Irish, for love or for money.

Peregrine · 02-07-2016 11:28AM

Yes, I can sing it in both Irish and English.

I was taught the Irish version in school and I looked up the English version later. I can't say that I've ever had to sing it in English but it's good to know what the words mean.

Barry Badrinath · 02-07-2016 11:28AM

Yes, work.

eviltwin · 02-07-2016 11:29AM

We learnt it in school, Irish and English versions. I don't think many schools do that anymore.

mansize · 02-07-2016 11:30AM

Yes. Sing it with pride

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 02-07-2016 11:31AM

McGruber wrote: »

Yes, work.

What do you work as? Primary school teacher?

Speedwell · 02-07-2016 11:34AM

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Plus I don't particulalry care for nationalism anyway, so have no interest in it.

See, that bugs me a bit, too. Jingoism is a terrible thing, but it's perfectly OK for a nation to have the equivalent of a self-esteem. Isn't it?

Cee-Jay-Cee · 02-07-2016 11:34AM

Know the first line sort of but that's it. Never learned and don't want to learn it ever as I simply don't like it as a piece of music or song.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 02-07-2016 11:35AM

Speedwell wrote: »

See, that bugs me a bit, too. Jingoism is a terrible thing, but it's perfectly OK for a nation to have the equivalent of a self-esteem. Isn't it?

Eh... I'm not a nation? Or did you reply to the wrong post..?

Samaris · 02-07-2016 11:35AM

Yiiiis and nooo. I can sing it, but it's a bit phonetic. It was drilled in at some stage, but I never really associated the sounds with the meanings of the words, so a native speaker might wonder what the hell I was singing about.

Also, the line that ends in "bearna baoil" tends to get replaced with "This is the line that no-one knows" because it scans and I can never recall the first half of it.

failinis · 02-07-2016 11:35AM

Peregrine wrote: »

Yes, I can sing it in both Irish and English.

I was taught the Irish version in school and I looked up the English version later. I can't say that I've ever had to sing it in English but it's good to know what the words mean.

Same as. Was taught in school as a excuse to teach some Irish to be fair.

corner of hells · 02-07-2016 11:37AM

I can sing it and I know the dance

PARlance · 02-07-2016 11:38AM

misterbizmuth wrote: »

It was never a requirement for any exam or curriculum. Therefore by age 17 and leaving secondary school I therefore saw no reason why I should try and do it myself when nobody else was ever bothered.

That's the spirit, soldier.

SEPT 23 1989 · 02-07-2016 11:40AM

It's a terrible dirge

It needs a good remix to blow the cobwebs off it

Speedwell · 02-07-2016 11:44AM

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Eh... I'm not a nation? Or did you reply to the wrong post..?

I was pretty sure I was talking about a nation, so since you are not a nation, I am pretty sure I was really not talking about the jingoism that you do not have or the self-esteem that I am sure is perfectly adequate in your individual case.

Speedwell · 02-07-2016 11:46AM

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

It's a terrible dirge

It needs a good remix to blow the cobwebs off it

It would gain a lot if it was played gently and freely on the guitar or violins, I think. Maybe even a symphonic sort of treatment. A brass band is exactly what's wrong with the thing.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 02-07-2016 11:47AM

Speedwell wrote: »

I was pretty sure I was talking about a nation, so since you are not a nation, I am pretty sure I was really not talking about the jingoism that you do not have or the self-esteem that I am sure is perfectly adequate in your individual case.

Ok. Wrong post, so.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy · 02-07-2016 11:50AM

Speedwell wrote: »

I'm an immigrant and a musician, and it bugged me that I didn't know the national anthem. All I know is the tune, though. Nobody around here is interested in teaching a middle-aged American woman Irish, for love or for money.

Says who? I'd probably do it for love. Conas atá tú?

lawlolawl · 02-07-2016 11:56AM

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

It's a terrible dirge

It needs a good remix to blow the cobwebs off it

Needs a few Pitbull-style airhorns in the middle of it along with numerous bass drops.

Also, guest vocals by Fetty Wap.

Lyaiera · 02-07-2016 12:15PM

I don't know it. I was never taught it (or maybe I ignored a teacher teaching it.) I have no particular interest in learning it. If I was somehow picked for a sporting event where singing anthems was traditional I'd probably learn it. However given my age and rotundity that's unlikely.

I do know the lyrics to Flower of Scotland. And I've sung it with many pissed Scots (I was generally pissed too.)

runnerholic · 02-07-2016 12:19PM

Shovin' connie around the field

Avatar MIA · 02-07-2016 12:35PM

Of course,

'Ireland, Ireland. Come the day and come the hour...'

Nah, Amhrán na bhFiann is dreadful. Know a few lines phonetically, but it doesn't have the stirring effect of the French or Welsh anthems.

But, at least we have an anthem. Unlike Britain, who have an ode to a person.

Malari · 02-07-2016 12:38PM

Avatar MIA wrote: »

Of course,

'Ireland, Ireland. Come the day and come the hour...'

That's the one I know too! I know the tune of the other one though.

cdeb · 02-07-2016 12:42PM

I know the whole thing (well, chorus anyway) in Irish, but I don't really know what the second half in particular actually translates as. And I'm quite happy with that balance, seeing as most anthems seem to just be about killing your enemy anyway.

riffmongous · 02-07-2016 12:43PM

Speedwell wrote: »

I'm an immigrant and a musician, and it bugged me that I didn't know the national anthem. All I know is the tune, though. Nobody around here is interested in teaching a middle-aged American woman Irish, for love or for money.

Is the problem pronouncing the words? If you know the tune it's a pretty good start

It starts with 'shin-ne fee-ana faw-l, a-taw fwee gyal egg air-er-inn'

Do you know the Irish national anthem? Why/Why not?

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