Origin
of The Irish National Anthem 'Amhrán na bhFiann',
part 2
When the
Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) was established in
1922 there was no nationalanthem, and it was not until 1924 that the
lack of a national anthem was highlighted. It was Seán Lester,
who was Director of Publicity in the Department of External Affairs,
who it appears, first raised the issue, stating "but it is felt
that while it (The Soldier's Song) was excellent as a revolutionary
song, both words and music are unsuitable for a National Anthem."
He emphasised that the absence of an official anthem "makes it
easier for the pro-British elements to sing the British National Anthem
at their functions," and suggested that a competition be held to
provide new words for a national anthem to the tune of Thomas
Moore's 'Let Erin Remember the Days of Old' (Incidentally Moore
was born on 28th May 1779 in the public-house of his father at 12, Aungier
Street, Dublin 2, my sister-in-law Carmel and her husband J.J. own the
building now and it still trades as a pub) The Executive Council declined
to make a ruling but they informally agreed to continue using 'The Soldier's
Song for the time being within the Free State, while the air of 'Let
Erin Remember' would be used when the state was being represented abroad,
it being considered, 'more suitable from a musical point of view'.
The Government
did not pursue Lester's suggestion of holding a competition, however,
on June 13th 1924, The Dublin Evening Mail, informed its readers that
Ireland needed an anthem that would appeal to people of all classes
and political beliefs and offered a prize of fifty guineas to the writer
of the best lyrics for a new national anthem. The newspaper claimed
that there were hundreds of entries. Lennox Robinson, James Stephens
and William Butler Yeats, were appointed as adjudicators and after reviewing
the entries they decided that not one of the entries was 'worthy of
fifty guineas or any portion of it.' The Evening Mail editors choose
six entries and they reopened the competition inviting readers to select
the winner by voting for their favourite from the six which were published
in the edition of 5th February 1925.
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The editors
reported that the most favoured by what the publication declared as
'a clear preponderance of public opinion', the opening stanza of which
commenced with the lines
"God
of our Ireland, by Whose hand
Her glory and her beauty grew,
Just as the shamrock o'er the land
Grows green beneath thy sparkling dew."
..........The Dublin Evening Mail in it's edition of 10th March 1925
informed it's readers that this entry had won the competition!
The Executive
Council in response to Seán Lestar raising the matter again in
July 1926 decided that 'The Soldier's Song' should be used both within
the state and abroad. Deputy O.G. Esmonde asked a question in the Dáil
about the national anthem which was answered by the Minister for Defence,
whose draft reply stated 'while no final decision has been come to'
The Soldier's Song' was 'at present accepted as the national anthem'.
It may
be of interest to the reader that when James McNeill, who was Governor
General of The Irish Free State, was invited to attend the Trinity College
races as part of Trinity week in 1929, his aide-de-camp
Captain O'Sullivan, informed T.R.F. Cox, the secretary of the Trinity
week committee, that if an anthem were to be played on the Governor-General's
reception, it must be 'The Soldier's Song', thus the Trinity week committee
were left with no option but to play 'The Soldier's Song' or no anthem
at all. Two days later Cox responded saying that the procedure would
be 'as usual', that is, that the Governor-General would be received
with 'God save the King' , explaining that it was the custom and practice
at Trinity to receive a viceroy or Governor-General with 'the Anthem
which is customary on such occasions throughout His Majesty's Dominions.'
Further adding that this was regarded by the College as ' at once an
expression of its traditional loyalty to the Throne, and an act of courtesy
and respect to the King's Representative.
This controversy
continued until 1931 when an Irish solution to an Irish problem was
devised by agreeing to play 'The Soldier's Song' upon the arrival of
the Governor-General at the Trinity College Sports of that year but
that 'God Save the King' would be played at the end of the event, by
which time the Governor-General would have left.
This procedure
was repeated in 1932 which caused The Irish Independent newspaper to
comment ' nobody's susceptibilities were hurt, and the day went off
beautifully in happy compromise.' Trinity College's commitment to 'God
Save the King' continued until 1939, it being played at the conclusion
of every Commencements.
Peadar
Kearney was arrested and interned in 1920 and was released upon the
signing of the Treaty in 1921. He served on the Free State side in the
Civil War being a friend of Michael Collins and other leaders. After
the Civil War, he returned to casual labour mostly painting, and he
died in comparative poverty at his home in Inchicore, Dublin, in November
1942.
Among
the other songs that Kearney wrote are: Down By The Glenside, The Three-coloured
Ribbon, The South Down Militia, Nell Flaherty's Drake, Whack Fol the
Diddle, Knockcroghery, Down by the Liffey Side, both himself and Patrick
Heaney collaborated in the composition of Michael Dwyer.
Peadar
Kearney's sister Kathleen was the mother of Brendan Behan or 'Mother
of all the Behans' as her autobiography is entitled.
