The emergence of "Zombie" by The Cranberries as an Irish sporting anthem

No that's still quite a stretch!

The FAI have made a decision to undertake political action against Russia, with a purpose in mind.

What's the goal here for the IRFU? Education people about the North? And who's made the decision to set their political agenda? Them? Or the likes or yourself, claiming 'anyone who doesn't agree with me is a child murderer'?

I very much doubt the IRFU want to be involved in these politics.

I think an 'unofficial' source has come out saying the song is a homage to Delores and no further comment.

My family members weren't conscripted to fight in Iraq or Afghanistan, they made that decision.

I wouldn't agree with it, but I wouldn't call them 'Zombies'

And she did say it was about war, not just terrorism.

Again, have the singalong, but stop trying to turn that into getting your agenda into sport.

I still wouldn't quite compare a terrorist to a soldier. A terrorist makes a personal political decision to plant bombs and because they 100% believe in the cause : a soldier is doing it primarily as a career and is paid a salary. A soldier who makes a deliberate decision to kill civilians though would be much closer in outlook to a terrorist.

Unfortunately politics and sport will always be linked. For rugby alone I can think of the Springbok tour to NZ in 1981. Or the Cavaliers tour to SA in 1986. Wales and Scotland refusing to play in Dublin in the early 70s because of terrorism fears.

You probably don't realise how Ireland was viewed in the rest of the world in the 80s and 90s. It was basically seen as a warzone because the only time we heard about was when there was a bombing or a shooting. So an Irish band saying not in my name was a good thing and something Irish people can be proud of. If fans then want to belt out that song at sports events, they should do so with pride. The people objecting to it or offended by it are the ones putting the politics into it. YOU are bringing politics into it.

A lot of soldier's I'd imagine believe in their country and think they're fighting for a cause.

Targeting civilians is awful. In my view so is recklessly using cluster bombs. The outcome's the same, innocent civilians are killed.

And Delores seemed to say this song was about war, not just terrorism.

I've a fair idea how Ireland was viewed in the 80's and 90's. We were shielded from a lot of it down in Limerick but I remember we'd get foreign students into school expecting a warzone.

How can you say I'm the one bringing politics into it?

It seems to me like your saying Irish fans are singing the song to send a message about the North?

Is it a singalong or not?

What has a Scottish football club got to do with this? I’m sure there are plenty of Scottish people who can call them out.

So we’ve switched the meaning of the song again. It’s anti-terrorist now. Make up your minds lads. It’s this, it’s that. Whatever suits your argument at the time.

It’s a poignant song, about a historic time in Irish history and doesn’t deserve to be turned into a sporting anthem. It’s better than that.

I was appalled by it, and still am.

It doesn't mean I don't think anyone could interpret the song differently, maybe feel it over-simplified the politics in the north at the time, as just one example?

I'm fine with the song, I think it's about capturing a raw and honest reaction, but I'd give people the right to have their opinions and not claim that they're 'supporting child murder'

It is not a mess, it is quite simple. As someone else said, "Dolores wasn't the only Southern Irish person to be appalled by the murders of Jonathan Ball and Tim Parry.

I would say the vast majority here were. How could you not be?

And Zombie is about that particular incident."