Ireland’s call now is for an anthem that gets us off to a tearful start

By Matt Cooper

Friday, September 14, 2007

The current dilemma was experienced first at the inaugural World Cup in New Zealand 20 years ago. Suddenly on the night before the first game with Wales, it was realised that an anthem was needed.

The team lined up to a recording of The Rose of Tralee played by the James Last Orchestra

MUCH has been said and written about what was missing from the Irish rugby team during its woeful opening World Cup performance against Namibia, but less about what was missing before the game even started. The absence of the national flag and the national anthem from the pre-match ceremonies was both noteworthy and damaging but, unfortunately, it doesn’t look as if this error will be corrected either.

Of course, the Irish team represents the 32 counties and not the Republic that takes part in soccer internationals, for example. Political sensitivities dictate that the traditions and political beliefs of our unionist brothers from Ulster are respected and that they are not forced to stand for an anthem of a "foreign country" while themselves representing "Ireland" on foreign shores. Instead we get a made-up flag that represents little and a dirge known as Ireland’s Call that few of the players or supporters sing with any real enthusiasm.

"So what?", you may ask. Isn’t rugby supposed to be based on preparation and professionalism rather than so-called passion if a team is to give its best performance? Aren’t the players really doing it for themselves and for their teammates rather than for their country?

While proper preparation, physical and mental, is essential, sometimes teams need an X factor if they are to perform to their best. Remember the tears of many of the Irish players and the obvious emotion of others as they sang Amhrán na bFiann at Croke Park last February before they went on to demolish the English team?

That, and the excitement of the crowd, inspired them to the best performance by an Irish rugby team in living memory.

Only last Friday evening the Argentine side showed the importance of national identity in preparing themselves for the battle with France. Many of the players were in floods of tears as they sang their national anthem.

It looked as if they might have lost the run of themselves, but as soon as the game began they showed their utter dedication to the task of keeping the French team from breaching their try line.

Can Ireland match that commitment in its two big games against those two teams? The insipid Ireland’s Call is not going to fire them. Of course, our political situation is different to that of any other country in the tournament in that we are not a country team in the normal sense. It is regarded by many as a sign of maturity that we do not force the anthem and flag of the Republic on those from the North.

Historically, this was reasonable. All sorts of strategies were used to get around the problems caused by the political division of the island. Amhrán na bFhiann was played at Lansdowne Road as a mark of respect to the country hosting the game, and that’s why the Tricolour was flown.

The anthems for the away team were not played, essentially so that God Save the Queen would not be heard. When Ireland went to play away games, no anthem at all was played. When it became common for both anthems to be played, we had only Ireland’s Call at away games and played both our national anthem and that song at home games.

The current dilemma was experienced first at the inaugural World Cup in New Zealand 20 years ago. Suddenly, on the night before the first game with Wales it was realised that an anthem was needed. The team lined up to a recording of The Rose of Tralee played by the James Last Orchestra. It had been purloined from the tape collection of prop Phil Orr in the small hours of the morning. The team limped to defeat.

Of course there was good reason for such circumspection in those days. The violence in the North in 1987 was appalling and the political situation fraught. In the weeks before the team left for the World Cup a roadside bomb near the border killed Lord Chief Justice Gibson and his wife.

Caught up in the blast was a car containing Irish internationals Philip Rainey, David Irwin and Nigel Carr as it travelled to a training session in Dublin. They survived, but Carr’s injuries were such that he never played again. In such circumstances the decision to drop the anthem in New Zealand can be explained.

However, things have moved on dramatically since. If Aer Lingus can establish a base in Belfast and be welcomed there by Ian Paisley, then we are in new territory.

This was confirmed further this week when the same man, as First Minister of a new power-sharing executive in the North, welcomed President Mary McAleese to an official function in Co Down. If that is possible, then the issue of the flag and anthem for the 32-county rugby team can surely be resolved suitably to assist in the proper motivation of the team. Unfortunately, it is most unlikely to happen in time for our coming games in this World Cup.

One of the most amusing sounds — but not sights — of the World Cup to date has been off the field of play: Tom McGurk harrumphing about the fact that RTÉ is not broadcasting the event.

With a pomposity resembling that of the lord of the manor disbelieving that the upstart peasants should dare to do what their supposed betters have always done, the RTÉ television rugby presenter went on 2FM (an RTÉ station) this week and was dismissive of TV3’s broadcasting of the matches made available to it.

"We didn’t get the World Cup… it was given to the men in the garage in Burlington," he complained. Leaving aside the fact that TV3 operates from a perfectly good premises at Ballymount in Dublin (and not Burlington), this adds to some misconceptions that could be usefully rectified.

THE rights to broadcast the rugby World Cup were purchased by the small, independent channel Setanta, which paid more than RTÉ despite the latter’s access to the licence fee and advertising revenues.

RTÉ then had the opportunity to buy the rights for the Irish games from Setanta because by law events such as this have to be available on free-to-air television. However, TV3 cut the deal with Setanta, but all it was prepared to sell were the games involving the Irish team, two quarter-finals, the semi-finals and final.

McGurk should have had a chat with his bosses at RTÉ about their decision not to outbid Setanta and then TV3 rather than blaming those who bought the rights to show the games. If he’s willing to risk his blood pressure, he should watch what we’re doing at TV3.

As its presenter, I’m obviously biased, but I’m confident that the studio setting looks wonderful, as befits an investment of nearly €500,000 in bespoke technology that RTÉ must envy. The panels we’re using are packed full of former internationals, most of recent vintage, who understand the way the game is played and managed in the professional era and who deliver this in a measured and honest fashion.

It’s different to RTÉ, which is as it should be. I have acknowledged that station’s excellence in sports coverage in many interviews. But competition brings choice and leads to improved overall standards. It’s what has happened in radio and it’s happening now in television.

It’s what happens when monopolies are broken.

The Last Word with Matt Cooper is broadcast on 100-102 Today FM, Monday to Friday, 4.30pm to 7pm. He is also presenting TV3’s rugby world cup coverage.

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Friday, September 14, 2007