When I was but a lad in NYC I recall Paul McCarney’s “Band on the Run” was banned by the BBC for …reasons.
I am an American. I am Irish. I live in the UK.
I am dismayed that the Republic of Ireland did not - in some way - celebrate their 100 years of Independance. I do not not want to think - yet I do - that they didn’t want to bother the politics with the UK.
If you had the luck of the Irish,
You’d be sorry and wish you were dead
You should have the luck of the Irish
And you’d wish you was English instead
Put the English back to sea!
Paul McCarney “Give Ireland back to the Irish”
I mean - the guys in the Beatles were writing this stuff - and it was banned by the BBC,
Band on the run - banned by the BBC.
U2 - “Sunday Bloody Sunday” - banned
The Police “Invisible Sun”
Any number of Pogues songs.
There was hardly anything in the Irish press about their 100th year anniversary (signing of the Constutiion in a 1919 and ratification in January 1920). It was hard fought.
The Irish Constitution was not drafted until the mid 30s and voted on in a referendum/plebiscite on July 1, 1937 along with a general election.
Perhaps you mean the Anglo-Irish Treaty which basically ended direct British Rule for (most) of Ireland - immediately after that was adopted by the fledging Irish Parliament civil war broke out…
However, the 1916 Rising was celebrated and they made a big fuss about it. and, to me at least, that was always the preeminent event…
The aftermath of the 1916 Rising is generally referred to as the ‘War of Independence’ (1916 - 1921) - basically Irish v English. A truce was declared in July 1921 while negotiations were taking place and the Anglo Irish Treaty was signed by representatives of the 2 governments in December 1921.
The treaty was ratified by Dáil Éireann (Irish Parliament) in January 1922. Some TDs (members of parliament) did not accept the terms of the agreement so walked out - leading to the Civil War (June '22 - May '23).
A very basic synopsis - the reality is a lot more labyrinthine …
It was McCartney’s song “Give Ireland Back to the Irish” which the BBC banned.
I’ve never heard of “Band on the Run” being banned. IIRC the lyrics of the first part describe how McCartney felt grinding through the last obligations of the Beatles. The studio was a metaphorical prison, and he was musing about giving up all that wealth to be done with it:
If I ever get out of here Thought of giving it all away To a registered charity All I need is a pint a day
Yep, I think you have it exactly. I’m British, and was a teenager when those songs were released. I have no recollection of any controversy over Band On The Run. Give Ireland Back To The Irish was banned by the BBC, who had something close to a monopoly on radio in the UK at the time. I remember there were adverts run in the music press giving a phone number which you could ring to listen to the song.
I think Radio Luxembourg* may have played it as well, because I remember hearing it at the time and thinking it was a bloody awful dirge (I have never liked McCartney).
j
* - Radio Luxembourg was based in the Grand Duchy. It served a variety of territories in several languages, and broadcast in English to the UK. Thus it’s playlist was outside the scope of UK political pressure.
The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty established independence, but it’s a bit of a sore point in the history of the Republic so I wouldn’t be surprised if they just quietly ignored the anniversary. They’re not likely to mention the 22-23 civil war that followed either.
Much as @Fortyfold said, there were no wild celebrations but just a rather low key event in the courtyard of Dublin Castle. RTÉ (The Irish equivalent of the BBC) published this report:
And Neil Jordan got it totally wrong in ‘Michael Collins’ - there were no military bands, no soldiers from both England and Ireland lined up on parade, no Viceroy in full regalia in the castle courtyard and no public ceremony.
As the Irish Times noted the following day - " … after centuries of being under siege by revolutionaries: “Dublin Castle was quietly handed over yesterday to eight gentlemen in three taxi cabs.”
So a quiet centenary was perfectly in keeping with the tone of the actual handover
I was told there are basically only 4 Irish folk songs;
I’ve had too much drink, I regret nothing.
I met a fair and bonny lass, she was bonny and fair.
We shall fight the English forever and ever and ever and ever…
I’ve left Ireland. And I shall never be happy again.
And there was an old woman and she lived in the woods…
…
She had a baby three months old
…
She had a penknife long and sharp
…
She stuck the penknife in the baby’s heart
…
There were three loud knocks came a’knockin on the door
…
There was two policeman and a man
(or, depending on your political stance:
There was two policeman and the Special Branch man)
…
They took her away and they put her the jail
…
They put a rope around her neck
…
They pulled the rope she got hung
…
Well that was the end of the woman in the woods/And that was the end of the baby too
While they can’t really be classified as folk songs — they were written by Irish artist and entertainer William Percy French — two of my favorites are Are Ye Right There Michael (about the perils of taking the train from Ennis to Kilkee, and which happens to mention my grandfather’s birthplace) and Slattery’s Mounted Fut (about a singularly inept fighting[?] force).
In general I prefer songs in which the Irish make fun of themselves to maudlin tripe such as “Mother Macree” (gak). And lest you doubt my credentials, let’s just say that there’s a very famous cow in my pedigree — probably not a direct relation, but the name’s what matters.
