What's in an Anthem?

The Ireland rugby union side recently completed a tour to Oceania, which was marked by an honorable 21-11 loss to New Zealand in frigid conditions and a very close 18-12 loss to Australia in not-so-frigid indoor conditions the next weekend. Given that it is customary to play both sides' national anthems before a test match, the tour calls to mind Ireland's interesting anthem situation and, more generally, the unique makeup of its national side.

The Republic of Ireland became independent from the United Kingdom in 1922 following a war for independence that was precipitated by a 1916 uprising. The day after Ireland received autonomy, Northern Ireland opted to withdraw from the new nation and remain part of the United Kingdom. The island remains politically divided today. The circumstances and conflict surrounding this schism are too complex to explore in detail here, but the strife between those favoring the split and those seeking to unify Ireland under one government has been an acrimonious one that has cost thousands of lives over the years.

Despite the political division, though, the Ireland rugby union side represents the entire island. Therefore, Ireland has been faced with a unique political challenge in how to represent its supporters. A flag representing the four provinces of Ireland is flown instead of the flags of Ireland or Northern Ireland. Until 1995, the Irish national anthem (Amhrán na bhFiann, or "The Soldier's Song") was played at home fixtures in the Republic of Ireland, while the British national anthem ("God Save the Queen") was played at home fixtures in Northern Ireland. For away fixtures, the issue was resolved awkwardly by playing no anthem at all for the Irish side.

In 1995, a new anthem, "Ireland's Call," was created specifically for use by the Ireland rugby union side. (For matches in the Irish capital of Dublin, however, the Irish anthem is also played and the Irish flag is also flown.) Although the anthem has since also been adopted by Ireland's rugby league, cricket, and field hockey sides, it remains somewhat controversial. "Ireland's Call" has been alternately described as "a laughable dirge" and an anthem "belted out with such hair-raising intensity that men and women were crying as they sang."

So is "Ireland's Call" a failed attempt to patch over Ireland's political friction or a symbol of unity for Ireland's athletes and supporters? You can be the judge after viewing this clip of players signing along to the anthem before a 2007 Six Nations match against England (which was also significant in that it was the first appearance of an English sporting side at Dublin's Croke Park since the 1920 "Bloody Sunday" incident, when British soldiers fired into a crowd of Gaelic football supporters and killed 14 of them):