Editing Ireland's Call

{{Short description|National song at some sporting events}}
{{listen
 | filename     = Ireland's Call RWC 2011.ogg
 | title        = Ireland's Call - Rugby World Cup 2011
 | description  = Ireland's Call performed in Rugby World Cup 2011.
 | format       = [[Ogg]]
}}
'''"Ireland's Call"'''  is a song by [[Phil Coulter]] used as a national anthem by some sports competitors representing the [[Ireland|island of Ireland]], originally the [[Ireland national men's rugby union team|Ireland men's rugby union team]]. 

It was commissioned by the [[Irish Rugby Football Union]] (IRFU) for the [[1995 Rugby World Cup|1995 World Cup]], because a substantial minority, around 20%, of the IRFU's members are from [[Northern Ireland]] and the use of the anthem of the [[Republic of Ireland]] ("[[Amhrán na bhFiann]]") was considered inappropriate. <ref>{{Cite web
|url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-3.htm
|title=Sport and Community Relations in Northern Ireland 3.2 Flags and anthems
|first1=John|last1=Sugden|first2=Scott|last2=Harvie
|year=1995
|access-date=26 May 2008
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502190044/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-3.htm
|archive-date=2 May 2014
|url-status=dead
}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Fanning|first=Bryan|title=Irish Adventures in Nation-Building|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C_eSDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA181|access-date=8 February 2018|year=2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9781784993221|page=181}}</ref>

While some all-island [[sports governing body|sports governing bodies]] use "Amhrán na bhFiann" in international competition (for example, the [[Irish Athletic Boxing Association]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://iaba.ie/black-sea-gold-molloy/ |title=Black Sea Gold For Molloy |quote=Amhran na bhFiann has received many an airing at the Black Sea holiday resort in international competition in recent years, and Irish team manager Gerry O'Mahony was thrilled to hear the Irish national anthem again today. |date=15 March 2016 |publisher=Irish Athletic Boxing Association |access-date=8 February 2018 }}; {{cite web|url=http://iaba.ie/site3/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/IABA-Sponosrship-Proposal-Latest-March.pdf#page=3|title=Road To Rio; Sponsorship Opportunity|quote=32 county sport|publisher=Irish Athletic Boxing Association|page=3|access-date=8 February 2018|archive-date=29 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160829134221/http://iaba.ie/site3/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/IABA-Sponosrship-Proposal-Latest-March.pdf#page=3|url-status=dead}}</ref>) others do not, and many have followed the IRFU in using "Ireland's Call", including [[Hockey Ireland]],<ref name="Clerkin2015"/> the [[Irish Cricket Union]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cricketireland.ie/media/photos/ireland-v-australia-wt20|title=Ireland v Australia WT20   |quote=Ireland at the anthem; Ireland's Call rings out across [[R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium|the Premadasa]]|date=19 September 2012|publisher=Cricket Ireland|access-date=8 February 2018}}</ref> [[Rugby League Ireland]]<ref name="Clerkin2015"/><ref name="rli2017">{{cite web|url=https://rli.ie/2017/11/04/urugby-league-ireland-live-ireland-vs-papua-new-guinea/|title=Live: Ireland vs Papua New Guinea|quote=We are minutes away from kick off as Ireland's call bells out at the [[PNG Football Stadium|National Football [Stadium]]]|date=4 November 2017|publisher=Rugby League Ireland|access-date=8 February 2018|archive-date=9 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209062946/https://rli.ie/2017/11/04/urugby-league-ireland-live-ireland-vs-papua-new-guinea/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Irish Korfball Association.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/PPXZOCvXsYw Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20211101220908/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPXZOCvXsYw&t=730 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPXZOCvXsYw&t=730 |title=IKF European Korfball Championship Round 1 West : France — Ireland |author=International Korfball Federation |author-link=International Korfball Federation |date=5 June 2016|work=ikfchannel|publisher=Youtube|time=12m10s|access-date=11 February 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The song has attracted some opposition, both on musical grounds and from [[Irish nationalist]]s who would prefer "Amhrán na bhFiann".<ref>{{cite news |title=Is it time Soldier's Song and Ireland's Call were scrapped? |date=17 November 2007 |newspaper=Irish Daily Mirror |first=Lynne |last=Kelleher }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/life/irelands-call-a-show-of-two-halves-31535608.html|title=Ireland's Call: a show of two halves |last=O'Doherty|first=Ian|date=19 September 2015|work=[[Irish Independent]]|access-date=8 February 2018}}</ref> Journalist Malachy Clerkin wrote on its 20th anniversary, "It has run the gamut with a sceptical and often hostile public, from deep loathing to grudging acceptance to growing pockets of reasonably throated support."<ref name="Clerkin2015"/>

==Rugby history==
From the [[Partition of Ireland]] until the 1930s, no flag or anthem was used at Ireland rugby internationals. After objections from clubs in the then [[Irish Free State]], a compromise was agreed to use an IRFU flag, with "Amhrán na bhFiann" at matches in the Free State, "[[God Save the King]]" at those in Northern Ireland, and no anthem at away matches.<ref name="Cronin2007">{{cite book |editor-last=Maguire |editor-first=Joseph |last=Cronin |first=Mike |title=Power and Global Sport: Zones of Prestige, Emulation and Resistance |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bhqCAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA122 |access-date=22 November 2017 |date=7 May 2007 |publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781134527274 |pages=122–124 |chapter=Rugby globalisation and Irish identity}}</ref><ref name="Moore 96">{{cite book|editor-last1=Dolan|editor-first1=Paddy|editor-last2=Connolly|editor-first2=John|title=Sport and National Identities: Globalization and Conflict |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2WA1DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT96 |access-date=22 November 2017 |date=13 September 2017 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9781315519111 |page=96 |chapter=Partition in Irish sport during the 1950s |first=Cormac|last=Moore}}</ref><ref name="Lenihan 2016 p.82">Lenihan 2016 p.82</ref> Ulster unionist players are not expected to sing "Amhrán na bhFiann".<ref>Lenihan 2016 p.70</ref> There were no senior internationals played in Northern Ireland from 1954 to 2007.<ref name="theguardian20060822"/><ref name="Cronin2007"/> [[Des Fitzgerald]] declined to play a 1982 [[Ireland Wolfhounds|B international]] in Belfast as "God Save the Queen" would be played.<ref>Lenihan 2016 p.72</ref> Before a [[1954 Five Nations Championship|1954 Five Nations]] match in [[Ravenhill Stadium|Ravenhill]], Belfast, players from the Republic refused to take the field until after "God Save the Queen" had finished. [[Cahir Healy]] negotiated a compromise whereby the [[honors music|Royal Salute]] was played instead of the full anthem, and promised that future internationals would be played in Dublin. The incident was hushed up. Playing all matches at [[Lansdowne Road]] suited the IRFU in any case, since gate receipts would be larger than at Ravenhill.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2007/feb/27/comment.gdnsport3|title=How Ravenhill rebels made an issue out of an anthem|last=Keating|first=Frank|date=27 February 2007|work=[[TheGuardian.com]]|access-date=26 February 2018}}</ref><ref name="Cronin2007"/><ref name="Moore 96"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Rigby |first1=Vic |last2=O'Callaghan |first2=Liam |editor1-last=Ní Fhuartháin |editor1-first=Méabh |editor2-last=Doyle |editor2-first=David M. |title=Ordinary Irish Life: Music, Sport and Culture |date=2013 |publisher=Irish Academic Press |isbn=9780716531548 |pages=98–113 |language=en |chapter=The Riddle of Ravenhill: The 1954 Irish Rugby International in Belfast}}</ref>

Unionist opposition to "Amhrán na bhFiann" was strengthened on 25 April 1987, when an IRA roadside bomb killed judge [[Maurice Gibson]] and his wife, and also damaged a car carrying three of the senior squad from Belfast to Dublin for training.<ref name="Lenihan 2016 p.82"/> [[David Irwin (rugby union)|David Irwin]] and [[Philip Rainey]] recovered but [[Nigel Carr]]'s rugby career was ended by his injuries.<ref>Lenihan 2016 pp.82–84</ref> The next month, at the [[1987 Rugby World Cup|inaugural Rugby World Cup]], captain [[Donal Lenihan]] objected that all other teams would have an anthem. At the last minute before the side's opening match in [[Athletic Park, Wellington]], a [[James Last]] cassette recording of "[[The Rose of Tralee (song)|The Rose of Tralee]]" was borrowed from [[Phil Orr]]; the music and poor recording quality attracted much criticism and no anthem was played for later matches.<ref>Lenihan 2016 pp.82–86; {{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/its-a-different-world-since-it-all-began-in-1987-26767940.html|title=It's a different world since it all began in 1987|last=Glennon|first=Jim|date=4 September 2011|work=[[Sunday Independent (Ireland)|Sunday Independent]]|access-date=21 November 2017}}</ref> At the [[1991 Rugby World Cup|1991 World Cup]], there was no anthem away to [[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland]], Ireland's only game outside Dublin.<ref>Lenihan 2016 p.86</ref>

For the [[1995 Rugby World Cup|1995 World Cup]] in South Africa, the IRFU decided to commission a song from [[Phil Coulter]].<ref name="Rouse2015">{{cite book|last=Rouse|first=Paul|title=Sport and Ireland: A History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=632ECgAAQBAJ&pg=PT360|access-date=21 November 2017|date=2015-10-08|publisher=OUP Oxford|isbn=9780191063039|page=360}}</ref><ref name="irishexaminer169995"/> His composition, "Ireland's Call", has since been played alongside "Amhrán na bhFiann" at matches within the Republic, and on its own elsewhere.<ref name="irishexaminer169995">{{cite news|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/should-the-irish-players-be-singing-amhran-na-bhfiann-at-the-world-cup-in-new-zealand-169995.html|title=Should the Irish players be singing Amhrán na bhFiann at the World Cup in New Zealand?|date=8 October 2011|work=Irish Examiner|access-date=21 November 2017}}</ref> Ireland's match against [[England national rugby union team|England]] at [[Croke Park]] in the [[2007 Six Nations Championship]] was of historic significance because of the [[Rule 42]] ban and the memory of [[Bloody Sunday 1920]]; ''[[The Irish Times]]'' commented, '"Amhrán na bhFiann" and "Ireland's Call" were belted out with such hair-raising intensity that men and women were crying as they sang'.<ref>{{Cite news
|publisher=[[The Irish Times]]
|title=Hair-raising cry of anthems fills Croker with pride and joy
|date=26 February 2007
|access-date=26 May 2008
|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2007/0226/1172185106645.html
}}</ref> Prior to the 2007 resumption of internationals at [[Ravenhill Stadium]], Belfast, the IRFU decided that only "Ireland's Call" would be played, not "God Save the Queen", prompting complaints from some unionists that this did not match the playing of "Amhrán na bhFiann" in Dublin.<ref name="theguardian20060822">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/aug/22/northernireland.rugbyunion|title=Row over anthem as Irish rugby prepares for match in Belfast|last=Bowcott|first=Owen|date=22 August 2006|work=[[TheGuardian.com]]|access-date=8 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/rugby-international-sparks-anthem-row-at-ravenhill-1-1891535|title=Rugby international sparks anthem row at Ravenhill|date=13 November 2009|work=[[The News Letter]]|access-date=22 November 2017|location=Belfast}}</ref>

==Other sports==
Other all-island teams have adopted "Ireland's Call" for similar reasons to the IRFU's. The [[Ireland men's national field hockey team|men's]] and [[Ireland women's national field hockey team|women's]] hockey teams, having previously used the "[[Londonderry Air]]", adopted "Ireland's Call" in 2000,<ref name="Clerkin2015">{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ireland-s-call-standing-tall-for-20-years-1.2085759|title=Ireland's Call: standing tall for 20 years|last=Clerkin|first=Malachy|date=31 January 2015|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|access-date=6 December 2017}}</ref> including for Olympic qualification matches,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Noonan |first1=Rory |title=Ireland hockey take have the Harte to see off Canada in Olympic qualifier |url=https://www.echolive.ie/corksport/Ireland-hockey-take-have-the-Harte-to-see-off-Canada-in-Olympic-qualifier-01aa1649-e3a4-4bb6-83f3-bebc7145df74-ds |access-date=4 November 2019 |work=Echo Live |date=27 October 2019 |quote=Ireland players, from left, Eugene Magee, Jeremy Duncan, Stuart Loughrey, Conor Harte and Jonathan Bell sing 'Ireland's Call'.}}; {{cite web |last1=Glennon |first1=Micil |title=Recap: Ireland and Canada stalemate in downpour |url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/hockey/2019/1102/1088250-ireland-v-canada-updates/ |publisher=RTÉ |access-date=4 November 2019 |language=en |date=2 November 2019 |quote=The sides stand for the anthems, first up, O Canada.   ...  And Ireland's Call.}}</ref> but the [[Olympic Council of Ireland]] standard "Amhrán na bhFiann" was used [[Field hockey at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|at Rio 2016]], its first post-independence appearance at the Olympics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsjoe.ie/world-of-sport/video-serious-confusion-over-irelands-national-anthem-for-rio-hockey-opener-90024|title=Serious confusion over Ireland's national anthem for Rio hockey opener|last=Doherty|first=Conan|date=6 August 2016|work=SportsJOE.ie|access-date=7 February 2018}}</ref>  At the [[2000 Rugby League World Cup]], the [[Ireland national rugby league team|Ireland team]] had "Amhrán na bhFiann" at a match in England,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/world_cup_2000/1019664.stm|title=Lighting the blue touchpaper |quote= ... the two teams lined up opposite one another in readiness for the national anthems. The Irish players, including the Aussie contingent, belted out The Soldier's Song.|date=12 November 2000|work=[[BBC Online]]|access-date=9 February 2018}}</ref> but no anthem at a match in Belfast.<ref name="newsletter1877387"/> In the years before 2008 it "used neutral symbols and anthems such as 'Ireland's Call'".<ref name="newsletter1877387">{{cite news|url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/irish-rugby-league-team-runs-into-anthem-row-1-1877387|title=Irish rugby league team runs into anthem row |date=31 October 2008|work=[[The News Letter]]|access-date=8 February 2018|location=Belfast}}</ref> [[Rugby League Ireland]] adopted "Amhrán na bhFiann" for the [[2008 Rugby League World Cup|2008 World Cup]], explaining "'The Soldier's Song' has always been played at amateur level and it was a unanimous decision to extend this policy to the professional game."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/irish-rebuff-anthem-calls-26488407.html|title=Irish rebuff anthem calls|last=Farrelly|first=Hugh|date=30 October 2008|work=[[Irish Independent]]|access-date=8 February 2018}}</ref> By the [[2017 Rugby League World Cup|2017 World Cup]] it had reverted to "Ireland's Call".<ref name="rli2017"/> The Irish Waterski and Wakeboard Federation adopted "Ireland's Call" on a one-off basis for the 2016 EA Wakeboard Championships, because they were in [[Coleraine]] in "very close proximity to a [[Ulster loyalism|Loyalist]] [[housing estate|Estate]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irishwwf.ie/userfiles/AGM%20minutes%202016.docx |publisher=Irish Waterski and Wakeboard Federation |title=2016 AGM minutes |date=21 February 2016 |page=14. Proposals for consideration |no-pp=y}}</ref> The National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland's policy document states that it 'is a [[Counties of Ireland|32 county]] body and as such the anthem will be "Ireland's Call" except in circumstances where this may cause discomfort or embarrassment. On such occasions the only permitted deviation allowed is "Amhrán na bhFiann".'<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncffi.ie/new/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/NCFFI-Protocol-2016.pdf#page=2|title=Protocols & Policies 2016|date=23 January 2016|publisher=National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland|page=2|access-date=8 February 2018}}</ref>

==Song==
The song was written by [[Phil Coulter]] in 1995. He said he composed it because he loved hearing a combination of [[Irish accent]]s singing together.<ref name="bbc-academy">{{cite news
|publisher=BBC
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/learning_centre/newsid_2369000/2369769.stm
|title=Ireland's Call
|access-date=26 May 2008
| date=29 October 2002}}</ref> It was first broadcast simultaneously on the ''[[Kelly (talk show)|Kelly]]'' show in Northern Ireland and ''[[The Late Late Show (Irish talk show)|The Late Late Show]]'' in the Republic, sung by [[Andrew Strong]] accompanied by the [[Portadown]] [[Male Voice Choir]].

At most games today, only the first verse is sung, followed by the chorus in the same key. The chorus is then repeated [[Modulation (music)|in a higher key]]; at the end, the last line is repeated. Several [[Irish-language]] translations have been made for [[Gaelscoil]] pupils, with the title {{lang|ga|"Glaoch na hÉireann"}}.<ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.osrai.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Glaoch-na-h%C3%89ireann.doc|title=Glaoch na h-Eireann|date=February 2013|publisher=Gaelscoil Osraí|language=Irish|access-date=8 February 2018|location=[[Kilkenny]]}};
{{cite web|url=http://www.gaelscoiluiriordain.ie/1645-2/ |language=Irish |date=15 February 2016 |title=Glaoch na hÉireann |publisher=Gaelscoil Uí Ríordáin |access-date=8 February 2018|location=[[Westport, County Mayo]]}}</ref>

Coulter subsequently rewrote the lyrics to be sung in the [[Celtic Thunder]] singing tour, when he collaborated with Sharon Browne, the original producer of [[Celtic Woman]]. The rewritten lyrics have a somewhat more martial theme, with lines like "meet our destiny with glory" and "Till our final requiem is spoken".<!-- per [[WP:COPYVIO]] do not give lyrics --><ref name="Thunder2008">{{cite book|title=Celtic Thunder (Songbook): The Music|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GYzDAQAAQBAJ&pg=PT47|access-date=30 November 2017|date=2008-10-01|publisher=Hal Leonard|isbn=9781458449702|chapter=Ireland's Call}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cms.celticthunder.ie/lyrics#irelandscall|title=Lyrics - Celtic Thunder|work=celticthunder.ie|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002015452/http://cms.celticthunder.ie/lyrics#irelandscall|archive-date=2011-10-02}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book |last=Lenihan |first=Donal |title=Donal Lenihan: My Life in Rugby |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3KiaDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT82 |access-date=7 December 2017|date=2016-09-22|publisher=Transworld|isbn=9781473540019 }}

==External links==
* [http://www.rte.ie/radio1/the-john-murray-show/programmes/2015/0226/682968-the-john-murray-show-thursday-26-february-2015/ "20 Years of Irelands Call"], from ''[[The John Murray Show]]'', [[RTÉ Radio One]], 26 February 2015
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151007185453/http://www.lequipe.fr/explore-video/rugby-l-appel-de-l-irlande/ "L'Appel de l'Irlande"], 2015 documentary in French and English from ''[[L'Équipe]]''

{{Ireland national rugby union team}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ireland national rugby union team songs]]
[[Category:Irish patriotic songs]]
[[Category:1995 songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Phil Coulter]]
[[Category:Sporting songs]]