The Last line of our National Anthem - Where do we stand

[Doogie Browser]

I am very proud of our anthem and like it to be respected until it is finished, but in fairness the roar sometimes at the last few words does add to the atmosphere.  I took up Irish classes a few years back primarily to learn my anthem as I was embarrassed at games not knowing a single word and love singing it with gusto now, badly might I add!
At my secondary school they did not teach us Irish as we were in what was deemed the 'second grammar stream', always irked me that I never had an opportunity at school to do Irish.

[ziggysego]

I never had the chance to learn Irish at school either Doogie and it remains one of my biggest regrets. When I was at college in Derry, a shared a house with a group from Gweedore. I was embarrassed to listen to them converse in Gaelic and I couldn't speak or understand a word. It is one of my ambitions to learn the language. I know it's too late for me to be a fluent speaker, but I would like to be able to pass myself in conversation at the very least.

[Zapatista]

There is no need for anyone to be embarrassed for not speaking Irish. The language was taken from us we didn't give it up. If anyone should be embarrassed it should be the English for trying to destroy something which wasn't theirs. They did a fine job of brainwashing us if we are embarrassed by the damage they done to the language while they are proud of how widely used the English language is. There is something badly wrong with that.

[balladmaker]

Idon't have any respect for the anthem.

Just curious as to why you would not have respect for the Anthem of your country (I'm assuming you're Irish).

It's your right to have whatever attitude you wish to have towards the Anthem, I'm just curious as to why no respect for it?

[Over the Bar]

Shoving Connie all round the room

I get the 'shoving Connie around' bit but how does bhfiann sound anything like room?  Van maybe but not room! 

[Rav67]

do you feel that there is more ways to show your Irishness then cheering on your team for the last 3 seconds of the anthem?

Why do I need to show my Irishness?

I never heard "Sinne laochra fáil" before either. I'd say it was made up by people who couldn't bring themselves to disassociate the words from the name of the political party. I've always understood (assumed, maybe)  that the party took its name from the anthem. Or does anybody know whether the "fianna fáil" or "soldiers of destiny" phrase had another origin or was in use prior to the writing of the anthem?

There was a republican newspaper of that name that Terence McSwiney used to write for around the time of the Rising.  When did Kearney write ANF?

[thewingedlady]

The one thing that does put us to shame is that the national anthem is sung by about a quarter of the people at the match and often in a half-hearted manner. The rugby and soccer have one over us on that front, although i suppose at gaa matches its more about local identity than national identity.

[johnpower]

I never had the chance to learn Irish at school either Doogie and it remains one of my biggest regrets. When I was at college in Derry, a shared a house with a group from Gweedore. I was embarrassed to listen to them converse in Gaelic and I couldn't speak or understand a word. It is one of my ambitions to learn the language. I know it's too late for me to be a fluent speaker, but I would like to be able to pass myself in conversation at the very least.

I am like you in that I regret that I have a poor knowledge of the language I have no real excuse as I was meant to be studying it for 13 years but there was no effort to teach it as a living language . In the rush to get points it was just a means to an end

[give her dixie]

There is no better feeling than standing for the National Anthem and at the final line roaring out for you club/county......
What a way to start a match eh?

[off the laces]

The one thing that does put us to shame is that the national anthem is sung by about a quarter of the people at the match and often in a half-hearted manner. The rugby and soccer have one over us on that front, although i suppose at gaa matches its more about local identity than national identity.

We never got the chance to learn irish at school either. But the national/local identity thing, do not know much off the anthem but every word of the star of the County Down......

[Zapatista]

Just curious as to why you would not have respect for the Anthem of your country (I'm assuming you're Irish).

It's your right to have whatever attitude you wish to have towards the Anthem, I'm just curious as to why no respect for it?

Why would I might be a better question. I just can't give it unconditional support. I used to be really proud of it but only because I was supposed to be. I never had another reason.

The lyrics don't relate to me, nor the many people I see standing for the Anthem at 1am when they are drunk making Nazi salutes with one hand and with the other hand on their heart. I don't think a song can or should unite millions of people for a reason they don't know. If we shared the same view on life and being Irish the anthem might be a good representation. Being united around the anthem is a false unity. The reason for an anthem is to get people allied with a certain identity and support it unconditionally. The anthem is the lowest common form of nationalism.

I do think s is a nice gesture to stand united at games but it shouldn't be under the same banner as that used by others for different reasons. During the civil war there were two sides trying to kill eachother under the same banner. There are divisions right across the millions of Irish people yet we all feel we are the ones who are represented by the Anthem. While that is a nice thought it is not true.

I like the idea of teams standing together in unity before they play a match but I don't like the fact that it is done under a National Anthem.