Sir, – Ireland's Call is a terrible, terrible song. It falls well short of the Italian anthem, even though that may sound a touch better on the football field. It's not a patch on its Welsh rival, nor the Scottish spine-tingler, and, whisper it, God Save the Queen is frankly more majestic. The French rouser is, of course, the greatest of them all.
But come the day and come the hour, find me among the masses on a Six Nations day out and I will roar this song like Pavarotti at his peak.
Critics are missing the point. If songs are your thing, I suggest you plan for the Eurovision. – Yours, etc,
ALAN KEALY,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – I welcome the letter from Hugo MacNeill (February 3rd). Ireland's Call is not, in my view, the answer. It is politically correct, but not inspiring. But why not in a democracy ask the people to vote for a song? We could have a song contest with an assured Irish winner.
I have proposed in turn Danny Boy; Boolavogue (1798 is a better model for us in Ireland than 1916, in my opinion); or There Is An Isle. – Yours, etc,
Dr GERALD MORGAN,
Dublin 2.
A chara, – We have lost the historic name of Lansdowne Road; in the stands our national flag appears to have morphed into a mobile phone company advertisement; and we seem to be at real risk of losing our national anthem completely. – Is mise,
RORY O’CALLAGHAN,
Kilmainham,
Dublin 8.