The Mary Wallopers: 'People are starting to be more OK talking about Irish unity'

As the Dundalk group release their debut album, Andrew Hendy talks music, colonialism and that 'Up the Ra' chant 
The Mary Wallopers: 'People are starting to be more OK talking about Irish unity'

Andrew Hendy, front, and the other members of The Mary Wallopers. 

Of course Andrew Hendy, one of the three singers in the Mary Wallopers, has some opinions about the furore that engulfed the Irish women’s national football team following their singing of “Ooh aah, up the Ra” after they qualified for next year’s world cup. In particular, he takes aim at the Sky Sports News presenter who asked Chloe Mustaki “if education is needed” around the chant. 

“It was very patronising. And also the gall of a British media person to say that to an Irish person was ridiculous,” begins Hendy. “It's mad that people will start talking about murder and stuff the minute any kind of Republican sentiment shows its face, but the British Empire has the blood of millions of people on its hands.”

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