right before you call for the ambulances and men in white coats
Ireland is playing England in the rugby, the game will be played in Croke park Dublin, now there a bit of an issue about the God save the queen anthem being played……………..
All-Ireland winner {G A A} demands Croke Park medals back ahead of historic match
it seems the arrival of the England rugby team in Dublin this weekend has sparked a heated debate over the playing of God Save The Queen at GAA headquarters.
Saturday’s Six Nations international between Ireland and England at CrokePark will carry added significance for many beyond the usual fierce sporting rivalry.
Following the match with France, the clash will be the first time a UK ‘home’ nation has played rugby at Croke Park.
The presence of England will also ensure that God Save The Queen will be played at the venue prior to kick-off for the very first time.
The issue is already the source of highly charged debate. One former Kerry player has demanded a collection of all-Ireland medals belonging to him and his late father be removed from the GAA museum in protest.
JJ Barrett, who won the title with his county in 1962, believes the English should forego the playing of God Save The Queen as a reciprocal gesture in response to Ireland’s alternative anthem, Ireland’s Call.
which is……….
Come the day and come the hour
Come the power and the glory
We have come to answer
Our Country’s call
From the four proud provinces of Ireland
Ireland, Ireland,
Together standing tall
Shoulder to shoulder
We’ll answer Ireland’s call
From the mighty Glens of Antrim
From the rugged hills of Galway
From the walls of Limerick
And Dublin Bay
From the four proud provinces of Ireland
Hearts of steel
And heads unbowing
Vowing never to be broken
We will fight, until
We can fight no more
For the four proud provinces of Ireland……………………………..
The ground itself has direct links to the violent history between the two nations. Hill 16, the stadium’s terrace, was originally constructed from the rubble of Dublin city centre following the 1916 Easter Rising.
The Hogan Stand is named after Tipperary footballer Michael Hogan, one of 14 civilians killed in 1920 by British Auxiliaries inside the ground in an event now referred to as ‘Bloody Sunday’.
God Save The Queen has been played at previous Ireland-England games at Lansdowne Road, now closed for significant redevelopment.
The GAA has been at pains to point out it has “no issues whatsoever” with the playing of the anthem. When contacted by the Belfast Telegraph, an Ulster GAA Council spokesman said the matter was an “issue for Croke Park”.
Former Irish rugby international turned peacemaker, Trevor Ringland, believes respect for the formalities prior to the game will send out a significant message.
He said: “Aside from the fact that it is procedure before rugby matches, if we’re looking at what people voted for in 1998, this is all about a maturing of the relationship between the peoples of these islands.
“It is a step towards reconciliation and will be an important gesture.”
Mr Ringland believes the controversy is clouding the occasion but did not hold back when referring to the small matter of the game itself.
UTV sports pundit and Belfast Telegraph columnist, Adrian Logan, who is familiar with Croke Park, said he expected the Irish to treat their visitors with the typical hospitality shown to guests.
“If you invite a guest into a room, you show them courtesy and respect. I hope this will prevail on Saturday.
Shoud the anthem be played
