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

It very much is, there was nothing in the comments made by sf supporters that were 'a shocking interpretation of the song'

People had criticized the song for the same reasons when it came out.

People have also criticized Band Aid for similar reasons, and a whole host of anti-war songs have been criticized similarly over the years.

Martin did just as Trump does. He put 2 + 2 together and instead of getting 4 he conveniently got sf supporters = terrorism.

Just like Trump puts 2 + 2 together and gets democrats = antifa.

You're struggling mate. Martin didn't say what you claimed he said and now you're tying yourself in knots trying to defend your position. Its entertaining. I love how you're trying to claim Martin is using Trump style politics when SF have actually been imitating Trump for years. They spout populist BS with no explanation about how they will do what they promise. Part of me would love to see SF get into government just watch them fail to deliver. But I live in this country so maybe not.

And I see you're still bringing up Band Aid. Too much effort to start a thread to discuss it?

I think it's quite fair to ask why Mr Martin is jumping into commenting on songs played at Irish rugby matches!

As for what's wrong with the comment itself, which has to be placed in the context of the rest of his statements, the most obvious initial issue for me is to ask just who Micheal Martin thinks he is to be telling other people how to interpret songs?

This is the same guy who's a champion of free speech when it suits him remember?

Aside from whether the song being partitionist or not being quite a subjective matter, I find it a reasonable position to take if looking at the term 'partitionist' as that which denotes people from Northern Ireland as other or even lessor.

I believe this was how former FG politician and co-founder of the SDLP Austin Currie often used the term.

It comes back then to the same criticism levelled at the song on it's release which suggests it might 'oversimplify' the history of the troubles. From that lens the idea that the people of the North just kept blindly reliving 1916 over and over, 'It's the same old theme since 1916, in your head Zombie', while we in the south moved on, could I think be seen as 'partitionist'.

Does that in any undermine the songs anti-violent message? Of course not, but Mr Martin's in Trump world now where anything goes, even dragging this shite into a beloved national sport.

Last I checked Micheal Martin was the Tanaiste and MFA. That means there is an onus on him to explain Ireland to the world, it is a part of his job. This controversy has attracted international headlines with people horrified that some would take offence at it. By putting the record straight on the song, he is doing Ireland a service, as is his job.

By the way, are you suggesting that there is something wrong with being partitionist? As you know since the GFA, we amended our Constitution to recognise the reality and the legitimacy of partition. We no longer have a territorial claim on the six counties, we instead aspire to unite the people of this island, which may, or may not, involve political and territorial unification. Most of the people of Northern Ireland identify themselves as British or Northern Irish at least in part, which is other than Irish. Are you also saying that this is a lessor identity? Once again, the bigotry of the position that there is only one true Gael shines clear through your posting.

"The singer was particularly offended that terrorists claimed to have carried out these acts in the name of Ireland.

"The IRA are not me. I'm not the IRA," she said. "The Cranberries are not the IRA. My family are not.

"When it says in the song, 'It's not me, it's not my family,' that's what I'm saying. It's not Ireland, it's some idiots living in the past."

"In the UK, the song reached number 14 in the charts - its success perhaps hampered by the BBC's decision to ban the video.

The original was shot by Samuel Bayer, who had previously directed the videos for Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit and Blind Melon's No Rain.

He travelled to Northern Ireland and shot footage of the troubles, including images of children holding guns, which the BBC (and Ireland's national broadcaster RTE) objected to."

I think that article clears up a number of the falsehoods pervading this thread.

The ban at the time wasn't because the lyrics were controversial - in fact the video was banned, not the song, because of images of children holding guns. So all of the nonsense about the song causing offence at the time can now be dismissed as more rubbish.

Secondly, the provenance of the song is also clear and its success and popularity are down to that provenance. People were sick and tired of the PIRA at the time, sick and tired of their pathetic excuses for killing women and children, sick and tired of their psycho Zombie mentality.

Remind me at the match?

Sure I won't be watching it now.

There's plenty other sports out there that aren't being used as a platform for these kind of nasty politics.

All credit to Megaman he has hung around longer than the cowards that planted a bomb in the bin in Warrington.

However he shares something in common with them, the truth bares no relevance to the message he is attempting to portray. Thankfully the decent people of this country rejected this message at the time and continue to do so.

My message? I'd like to think of myself as a pacifist, so it's not what you're trying to make out it is!

Keep your Trump politics out of Irish sports.

I guess that's my message.

So anyone here who shares MMs perspective is taking a ridiculous stance and not being genuine?

This from the person who while having no issue with the song themselves is happy to post page after page reasons why 'some' may have an issue with the song.

Great, finally. So it is about you being offended! The song refers to republican terrorists and that offends you because you're a supporter of the IRA. You'd like to see all killers including loyalists treated treated equally in song. Finally, we got there.

Maybe you should write to the Cranberries and ask them to include a line or two referring to loyalists so that violence supporting republicans like yourself can feel better about the whole thing.

Its gas he thinks the song was some carefully constructed thesis, not words selected for a rhyme😂

"Its the same old theme since 1690" doesn't quite have the same punch.

Songs are not a traditional narrative and more often than not are not a literal representation of an opinion

How dare you 'attack the lyrics' of this song.

Disgusting child murder supporter!

What evidence do you have that the criticisms of the song I shared are from 'supporters of violent republicanism'?