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Revision as of 19:32, 4 October 2004 by Djegan (talk | contribs) (→Media files: reverted last editors changes)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)"Amhrán na bhFiann" is the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland . It is also known by the English translation of its title, "A Soldier's Song", as well as "Amhrán Náisiúnta na hÉireann/the National Anthem of Ireland". The lyrics of the song are by Peadar Kearney and the music by both Kearney and Patrick Heeney. It was composed in 1907 and first published in Irish Freedom in 1912.
History
"Amhrán na bhFiann" was relatively unknown until it was sung by rebels in the General Post Office (GPO) during the Easter Rising of 1916, and afterwards in British internment camps. The song became the official state anthem in 1926 when it replaced the unofficial anthem "God Save Ireland".
God Save the King served as the anthem of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until the independent Irish Free State was established in 1922. The continued use of God Save the King by some Irish people caused embarrassment to the new Irish state, and, on one famous occasion, Governor-General James McNeill refused to attend a public function in Trinity College when he discovered that the College intended playing the anthem during his visit.
Even after the adoption of "Amhrán na bhFiann" as the official anthem a minority continued to sing the British anthem, as indeed they continued to pray for the King and Queen in religious ceremonies, right up until the declaration of the Republic of Ireland in 1949.
In recent years, a number of Irish newspapers and columnists have proposed replacing "Amhrán na bhFiann" with a new national anthem, arguing that the current wording is excessively militant and anti-British. Others have argued that the melody is difficult for bands to play.
The difficulty of anthem has often been witnessed at international sporting events, where either the entire song (not just chorus that is the actual anthem) is played (as occurred, for example, at the Los Angeles Olympics) or the right part is played but at the wrong speed, as occurred at the recent Syndey Olympics in 2000.
A new sporting anthem, "Ireland's Call", is now used at international rugby matches, because the Irish rugby team is drawn from the whole island, and is supported by both nationalists and unionists alike, whereas Amhrán na bhFiann is only officially the anthem of the southern Republic of Ireland. However it seems unlikely, in the short term at least, that "Amhrán na bhFiann" will be replaced as the national anthem. The suggestion has also been made that, as occurred in Germany after World War II, the government might change the words of the anthem while keeping the original melody.
The words
The Irish national anthem consists only of the chorus of "Amhrán na bhFiann", and is almost always sung in Irish. The first two lines of the anthem and the last two, played together, form the Irish "Presidential Salute", which is played when the President of Ireland attends official events. Only the part of "Amhrán na bhFiann" used for the anthem is given below. For the full song see: external links.
It should be noted that, in the English version of the chorus, the Irish "bhearna bhaoil" is sung instead of the English translation: "gap of danger". The Irish is roughly pronounced "vahr-na veel", and fits more easily the English rhyming scheme.
Irish version
- Sinne Fianna Fáil
- A tá faoi gheall ag Éirinn,
- buíon d'ár slua
- Thar toinn do ráinig chugainn,
- Faoi mhóid bheith saor.
- Seantír ár sinsir feasta
- Ní fhagfar faoin tiorán ná faoin tráill
- Anocht a théam sa bhearna bhaoil,
- Le gean ar Ghaeil chun báis nó saoil
- Le guna scréach faoi lámhach na bpiléar
- Seo libh canaidh Amhrán na bhFiann.
English version
- Soldiers are we
- whose lives are pledged to Ireland;
- Some have come
- from a land beyond the wave.
- Sworn to be free,
- No more our ancient sire land
- Shall shelter the despot or the slave.
- Tonight we man the gap of danger
- In Erin's cause, come woe or weal
- 'Mid cannons' roar and rifles peal,
- We'll chant a soldier's song.
Footnote
- Amhrán na bhFiann may be pronounced: "ow-rawn na vian".
External links
Full version
- Amhrán na bhFiann text of the entire song from Wikisource.
Media files
- MIDI file 7.4KB simple sequence from The National Anthems.
- MP3 file 1.0MB anthem played by the Army Band from Department of the Taoiseach.
- RealMedia 3.9MB audio-visual used on RTE television in the 1980s/90s from The TV Room.