Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

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BaggyTrousers
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Re: Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

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Dublin4 wrote:Can I say a word for Ireland's Call?
It has grown hugely in popularity. People sing it quite spontaneously and enjoy it.

IC was born out of a farcical situation in the early RWCs where we didn't have a shared anthem.
It's one of the best things the IRFU has ever done.
It's amongst Phil Coulter's worst, just as Amhrán na bhFiann is no more than a feckin' Comeallye written by Brendan Behan's granny, I know, t'was his uncle, but Ronnie Drew described it better, as above.

Now the Argies, there is an anthem, the Italians, the French and even the feckin' Welsh, they have anthems. Ireland sit beside England with dung for anthems. Two ould gowling dirges and a feckin poor wee useless qune.

Do ye know the worst thing about Coulter's qune? I'll tal ye. It's the feckin' Guarda Band and the kitty we introduction, lilting along but sounding like they can't quite get it right. God it's appalling Diddle Dee Dee ballix.

I wanst sang it as if my life depended on it, Sept 07, surrounded by fecking Argies in Paris,who were more painted than HWM and had just belted out theirs. I gave it plenty and received an arm round the shoulder from the Argie beside me..... .but inside I was dying with mortification at having appeared to put heart and soul into that fecking qune. :roll:
NEVER MOVE ON. Years on, I cannot ever watch Ireland with anything but indifference, I continue to wish for the imminent death of Donal Spring, the FIRFUC's executioner of Wee Paddy & Wee Stu, and I hate the FIRFUCs with undiminished passion.
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BaggyTrousers
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Re: Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

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Russ wrote:Whilst Ireland's Call is utter tom kite, it's better than a non representative song about soldiers
Most anthems are about wars and soldiers and how my metaphorical Da would knock the ballix in of your Da. The supreme irony is that the fecking garlic munching cheese eating surrender monkeys have the most bloodthirsty anthem going, and they can scrap none, the cowardly ballixes.

Nothing shy and retiring about the German anthem, uber alles, not hard to translate but on the plus side, there is a reverential mention of beer. :thumleft:
NEVER MOVE ON. Years on, I cannot ever watch Ireland with anything but indifference, I continue to wish for the imminent death of Donal Spring, the FIRFUC's executioner of Wee Paddy & Wee Stu, and I hate the FIRFUCs with undiminished passion.
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Re: Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

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The Germans dropped the Uber Alles verse after WW2.

The official anthem lyrics are now about justice and freedom and stuff that doesn't involve invading neighbours.
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Re: Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

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A funny thing is there seems to be people who think that Irelands Call is the Irish national anthem.

I can remember a discussion with a p!ssed up non-Irish person in a London pub.
"You're Irish, sing the Irish national anthem" says he.
"Err... I don't know the words", says I.
"You must know it, even I know it" says he "It goes.... shoulder to shoulder"
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Neil F
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Re: Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

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BaggyTrousers wrote:Nothing shy and retiring about the German anthem, uber alles, not hard to translate but on the plus side, there is a reverential mention of beer. :thumleft:
mikerob wrote:The Germans dropped the Uber Alles verse after WW2.

The official anthem lyrics are now about justice and freedom and stuff that doesn't involve invading neighbours.
Should also be noted that the words are from a proto-revolutionary poem written thirty years before the first proper unification of Germany in 1871. Given that "Deutschland" didn't materially exist at the time, in the context, "Deutschland über alles" meant something fundamentally different to what it was used to mean in the 1930s and what people have since assumed it meant.
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Russ
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Re: Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

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mikerob wrote:A funny thing is there seems to be people who think that Irelands Call is the Irish national anthem.

I can remember a discussion with a p!ssed up non-Irish person in a London pub.
"You're Irish, sing the Irish national anthem" says he.
"Err... I don't know the words", says I.
"You must know it, even I know it" says he "It goes.... shoulder to shoulder"
Maybe they should adopt it
Rather be inclusive than exclusive
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mikerob
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Re: Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

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If/when there is a united Ireland, they could do what the saffas have done and combine songs.

Like "Amhrán na bhFiann" segueing into "The Sash"
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BR
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Re: Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

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mikerob wrote:If/when there is a united Ireland, they could do what the saffas have done and combine songs.

Like "Amhrán na bhFiann" segueing into "The Sash"
Knew a boy who could simultaneously play Amhran na bhFiann with his left hand and the Sash with his right.
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BR
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Re: Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

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BR wrote:
mikerob wrote:If/when there is a united Ireland, they could do what the saffas have done and combine songs.

Like "Amhrán na bhFiann" segueing into "The Sash"
Knew a boy who could simultaneously play Amhran na bhFiann with his left hand and the Sash with his right.
On the piano, like. Guitar would have been really impressive.
Can I come out from behind the sofa yet?
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BaggyTrousers
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Re: Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

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Neil F wrote:
BaggyTrousers wrote:Nothing shy and retiring about the German anthem, uber alles, not hard to translate but on the plus side, there is a reverential mention of beer. :thumleft:
mikerob wrote:The Germans dropped the Uber Alles verse after WW2.

The official anthem lyrics are now about justice and freedom and stuff that doesn't involve invading neighbours.
Should also be noted that the words are from a proto-revolutionary poem written thirty years before the first proper unification of Germany in 1871. Given that "Deutschland" didn't materially exist at the time, in the context, "Deutschland über alles" meant something fundamentally different to what it was used to mean in the 1930s and what people have since assumed it meant.
Neil I always understood Deutschland uber alles to mean "my country above everything" rather than "we are Germany and you're gonna get yer feckin' head stove in". >EW

Thanks for the clarification BR >EW I was about to make a few suggestions :lol:
NEVER MOVE ON. Years on, I cannot ever watch Ireland with anything but indifference, I continue to wish for the imminent death of Donal Spring, the FIRFUC's executioner of Wee Paddy & Wee Stu, and I hate the FIRFUCs with undiminished passion.
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Re: Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

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BR wrote:
mikerob wrote:If/when there is a united Ireland, they could do what the saffas have done and combine songs.

Like "Amhrán na bhFiann" segueing into "The Sash"
Knew a boy who could simultaneously play Amhran na bhFiann with his left hand and the Sash with his right.
Have you never heard "Kevin Barry" sung to the tune of the "Sash"? The words and music fit perfectly. Used to be a bit of an ice-breaker at parties where you had mixed political types.
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Shan
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Re: Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

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BaggyTrousers wrote: just as Amhrán na bhFiann is no more than a feckin' Comeallye written by Brendan Behan's granny, I know, t'was his uncle, but Ronnie Drew described it better, as above.

Ah yeah but Ronnie would have preferred something a bit more socialist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sBxI5mb_eU
It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.
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Shan
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Re: Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

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mikerob wrote:If/when there is a united Ireland, they could do what the saffas have done and combine songs.

Like "Amhrán na bhFiann" segueing into "The Sash"

For that reason alone lets hope there is never a uniting as a sovereign state.
It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.
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Neil F
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Re: Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

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BaggyTrousers wrote:Neil I always understood Deutschland uber alles to mean "my country above everything" rather than "we are Germany and you're gonna get yer feckin' head stove in". >EW
Even more noble than that, Baggy. More that all German people should forego their petty loyalties to regional kings and give it, instead, to a wider, egalitarian, liberal, meritocratic wider Germany. Not bad sentiments and, quite literally, the stuff of revolution. And also, not too far from some ideas you've espoused yourself (loyalty to Angela Merkel aside...).
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BaggyTrousers
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Re: Is IRFU truly a beacon of inclusiveness?

Post by BaggyTrousers »

Shan wrote:
BaggyTrousers wrote: just as Amhrán na bhFiann is no more than a feckin' Comeallye written by Brendan Behan's granny, I know, t'was his uncle, but Ronnie Drew described it better, as above.

Ah yeah but Ronnie would have preferred something a bit more socialist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sBxI5mb_eU
Good man was Ronnie, for a legendary swallier :stout: , he did rightly to make it into his 70s

Of all "Irish" sings, I love Raglan Road but only by three singers, Ronnie, his mate Luke Kelly and wee baldie, Sinead O'Connor. The others are just pale imitations
NEVER MOVE ON. Years on, I cannot ever watch Ireland with anything but indifference, I continue to wish for the imminent death of Donal Spring, the FIRFUC's executioner of Wee Paddy & Wee Stu, and I hate the FIRFUCs with undiminished passion.
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