Sir, – Now that the Rugby Six Nations is upon us the topic of Ireland's Call rears its head again. Malachy Clerkin's article reminds us of the different points of view and familiar points of opposition to Ireland's Call are cited ("Standing tall after 20 years", January 31st).
Rugby has always played an invaluable role in bringing people from all parts of the island together while other forces were tearing them apart.
Under the careful guidance of the IRFU, both players and supporters gathered together with no challenge to anyone's religious or national identity. For a long time, however, only Amhrán na bhFiann was played.
When I played for Ireland the captain, Ciaran Fitzgerald, would ask us to spend the last few moments in the dressing room with our immediate teammates – in my case Trevor Ringland from Larne and Keith Crossan from Belfast. Completely trusted teammates, now lifelong friends. I always found it difficult that they had no anthem to sing as they stood beside me moments later on the field.
However, the issue goes further than that. As Trevor mentioned in the article, the players were directly touched by the Troubles. Another teammate, Nigel Carr, had his career ended when he got caught up in a bomb attack on the way to an Irish training session. Trevor, Keith and I were in the car behind.
When the IRFU introduced Ireland's Call, it was an act of leadership on their part, leadership it also showed in 1996 when it backed the Peace International.
The song is frequently attacked both just for being there and also for its musical quality. Criticism on the first point completely misses its principal objective.
On the second, people lament that we do not have a stirring song such as the French Marseillaise or the Welsh anthem. Some have even said it affects the performance of the team. In addition to us being the current Six Nations champions, can we ask how many world cups have France and Wales won? Zero. What about some actual winners? I would have full respect for the English, Australian and New Zealand anthems but I have never heard any of my friends from these countries claim that their anthems are particularly inspiring. Both New Zealand and South Africa (another World Cup winner) explicitly adapted their anthems to reflect different identities, realising that bigger issues were involved.
So congratulations to the IRFU for maintaining their position and I look forward to singing Ireland's Call (in addition to Amhrán na bhFiann) on Saturday week to get behind Rory Best or whichever of the Ulster players line out for the Irish team, together with Trevor, Keith and Nigel (who are coming to stay for the weekend) in the stands and can only regret we could not sing together when we were on the actual pitch. – Yours, etc,
HUGO MacNEILL,
Killiney, Co Dublin.
Sir, – Thanks to Malachy Clerkin for his thought-provoking article. As he writes, you either love Ireland's Call or hate it; but for those of us (and I believe there are many) who were never taught the Irish national anthem – Amhrán na bhFiann – in school, it brings a unity and cohesion that was lacking at international rugby matches. I envy the French with their mighty La Marseillaise; they sing it with such gusto and not only at the beginning of the match, but at any time their team need a boost.
If the children of this country are not being taught their own national anthem, how does anyone expect it to be sung with such ferocity; oh, it is sung, but not by the majority and therein- lies the crux of the matter.
If the huge majority of Ireland supporters that will attend both matches in the Aviva within the next few weeks are to be heard, we need to sing in unison, with heart and feeling, and not only at the beginning of the match.
Let us do what the French do! Let's sing the song we all can sing, during the game, giving our boys the help they need from us, the spectators, the 16th man. And for that to happen, I entreat the IRFU to publish the words of Ireland's Call in the match programme, even just the first verse and chorus (which in all likelihood is all that will be sung).
Good luck to the boys in green; and good luck to the thousands of us who will stand together and bring the house down! – Yours, etc,
VICTORIA MADIGAN,
Terenure,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – Malachy Clerkin quotes Neil Francis: “I guarantee you that given a few hours over a few pints and a blank sheet of paper, a couple of us could come up with a better song.”
Well in the past 20 years, he must have been short on friends, paper and pints. You were a great player but we are still waiting to hear your Call, Mr Francis! – Yours, etc,
NOEL BUTLER,
Clonard,
Wexford.
Sir, – In March 1995, the Irish rugby squad spent a few days training in Kilkenny. Someone suggested that they would attend a school assembly in Kilkenny College and that the pupils would sing the new song. A manuscript score and a cassette recording of the work had been sent from IRFU headquarters.
A keyboard – played by a pupil – was duly programmed to imitate the accompaniment and the pupils were rehearsed. The presence of the players caused great excitement, of course, and Ireland's Call received one of its earliest performances.
The event was captured by a camera crew from BBC Wales, and featured on their evening news clip on the Irish team’s preparations prior to meeting Wales, later that week. – Yours, etc,
DAVID MILNE,
Castlecomer,
Co Kilkenny.