Ireland women chanting “up the Ra” in celebration of WC qualification

34 comments

  1. We must be the only nation on earth that are apologetic about standing up to brutal imperialism.

    Do you think Ukrainians in the future will be as ashamed of their army’s actions in defending their country against Russia?

    It’s a popular Irish song, get over it.

  2. I cringe thinking back to when I was 13 and would sing those lyrics, these are grown women who should know better

  3. We’ll sing a song, a soldier’s song,

    With cheering rousing chorus,

    As round our blazing fires we throng,

    The starry heavens o’er us;

    Impatient for the coming fight,

    And as we wait the morning’s light,

    Here in the silence of the night,

    We’ll chant a soldier’s song.

    CHORUS

    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

    In valley green, on towering crag,

    Our fathers fought before us,

    And conquered ‘neath the same old flag

    That’s proudly floating o’er us.

    We’re children of a fighting race,

    That never yet has known disgrace,

    And as we march, the foe to face,

    We’ll chant a soldier’s song CHORUS

    Sons of the Gael! Men of the Pale!

    The long watched day is breaking;

    The serried ranks of Inisfail

    Shall set the Tyrant quaking.

    Our camp fires now are burning low;

    See in the east a silv’ry glow,

    Out yonder waits the **Saxon** foe,

    So chant a soldier’s song.

    ​

    The National anthem is also a Republican fighting song.

  5. Regardless of what a person thinks of IRA, this was a bad move.

    Instead of the sporting achievement, this has become one of the main focal points of the campaign and what many generally disinterested casuals will remember the Irish female football team for.

  6. What’s different from singing “up the Ra” vs Americans singing a song about George Washington? Why are we such snivelling apologetic invertebrates in this country? There’s no indication in the song they were singing that they support the PIRA, and personally I will continue to whole heartedly back the Old IRA and all of their actions. I don’t feel bad about that.

  8. r/Ireland be like:

    Unionists should accept there will be a United Ireland and be open to dialogue, it’ll be very accepting!

    Also this subreddit;

    It’s just a song lol

  11. The Sun God has entered the conversation …

    … nah, it’s just those Irish again …

    … the Sun God has left the conversation.

  15. Why do the people who make big deal out of this, for some reason, want Ireland and only Ireland to be “mature” (i.e. bend the knee to their former oppressor) all the time? It’s embarrassing to watch people fall over themselves to be the loudest voice to apologise for this.

    Would you ask Ukrainians not to sing songs about their struggle with Russia? I mean “giving” Russia Crimea and the Donbass would basically be the same thing as Northern Ireland.

    This is only a big deal if you make it one. I, for one, would rather celebrate a big moment for Irish women and girls. Just let them have this. Don’t tear them down over your obsessive need to doff the cap to Britain.

  18. Ah big fucking deal. They only just qualified for their first ever major tournament and people are already trying to tarnish it. It’s a song ffs, get over yourselves. Well done the Republic of Ireland ladies football team

  20. It’s a huge shame that they did this because this is now going to be the story, not their unbelievable achievement in making the World Cup.

  22. Both my grandads were active members of the IRA. It’s not something I’ve ever let people shame me for. It’s a big and important part of our history. Additionally, no one should pretend it was simply tit-for-tat, or that it was a symmetrical conflict by any stretch of the imagination – but at the end of the day innocent people suffered immeasurably. Gunned down in the street like dogs. Blown to bits ordering a bag of chips. Crippled for life for turning the wrong corner on the wrong day 5 minutes from their family home. Children growing up without parents. Young people scarred for life physically and emotionally.

    It’s an argument as old as the events themselves; that in a fight for freedom and against oppression, collateral damage is inevitable and the lesser of two evils. I know how my grandads felt about all that; and I know how I feel.

    But however you might have felt in 1972; in 2022, decades on from the signing of the Good Friday Agreement – one of the most impactful moments in our history – it’s simply not the same discussion. And It’s simply not acceptable to be shouting “up the ra” and expecting no consequences.

    As I said, it’s part of our history – but some of these songs are more celebration than memorial – and for any of them there’s a time and a place. Representing your country on an international stage is neither the time nor the place.

  23. What a bunch of snowflakes, getting upset at literal locker room banter. The UK have had a hard 6 years but they need to get over this cultural cringe, they don’t have any reason to feel inferior.

  24. This thread is embarrassing. We should not be ashamed of our own volunteers, nor defend the anti-democratic colonial endevour that was partition.

  26. Interesting to see the people talking about the crimes of the IRA use the same language of British narratives, such as ‘atrocity’ and ‘outrages’, and even use examples of pub bombings and attacks in Britain rather than bring up the other 12,000 bombs planted here in Ireland.

    It’s not right or wrong but just a sign of how many of us have unconsciously adopted inorganic narratives pushed forward in the early 1980s during the Ulsterisation process.

  32. Admittedly… pretty stupid. But like when I was younger we’d chant Ooh Aah Up The Ra every once in a while for no reason. It’s not like we were inspiring people to support the IRA. The only issue I see here is that it shouldn’t have been posted online.

  34. Going forward to the world cup, the girls might amend the playlist a little. World class team etc. Hopefully the issue of what they are singing in their celebrations remains an issue right up to the final.

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