The Famine Song Origins

Medro · Sep 28, 2012

Northern Whig is always packed with women on Saturday afternoon, as will be the appartment.

rogueleader · Sep 28, 2012

Trevor Santos said: ↑

so's yer face RL
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Hmm, cant you find it in yourself to help ? Reading medro is like watching a poor, frightened, wounded bird slowly die.

Big Audio Dynamite · Sep 28, 2012

good stuff medro.

a nice break from all the pish about beel.
any other stories bout yer travels?

Mind The Duck · Sep 28, 2012

Wow, the Beel for Phil is strong in this one

DevAdvocate · Sep 29, 2012

in summary...it's all phil's fault

Rustie bugmuncher · Sep 30, 2012

Modro Pendes said: ↑

I was brought up in an area of East Belfast which was predominantly Protestant. From my primary school days and right through my teens about 60% of my best friends would probably have been of the Catholic persuasion. There were some awkward times when I took a few punches to the chin by people who didn't take too kindly to my association with and defence of them. One of my best friends, Jim, actually took a terrible kicking at the Short Strand after a night out in the town. The ones who attacked him were actually people he had gone to school with but the fact that he lived where he did meant it was open season on him. I can remember joking with him at the hospital that we should just take the kicking before we went out at night to get it over and done with.

We used to go to the local Chapel on the Upper Newtownards Road three times a week to participate in youth club activities. I can remember on one occasion that the resident priest Father Steel made a recommendation to the youth club leaders that unless the members attended Mass then they should not be permitted to use the youth club facilities. The leaders of the youth club held a meeting with him to fight our corner. He was not for relenting. However, after further discussions it was decided that the non-Catholics would be allowed to abstain from Mass. I believe that the leaders had put it to him that it was a type of discrimination. You can imagine my horror when I found out years later that he was on trial for sexually abusing children of the parish and eventually received a jail sentence.

I was always fascinated by the legendary Belfast Celtic and had read their book many times over. My grandfather had watched them on many occasions and I would love to hear the stories of how they conquered all before them and even beat the full Scotland team in New York. I would have loved to have seen this great team in full flow, but never did. One of the first songs that I wrote was an appreciation of them.

(to the tune of 'Come back Paddy Reilly to Ballyjamesduff')

My Grandfather tells me about the old times and of Irelandâs great football teams
How the best of them all played at Paradise, they sported the White and the Green
Oh Celtic, oh Celtic, oh what have they done? That great football team we all knew
The teamâs just a memory the fans they are gone. Itâs hard to forgive those in Blue

Wherever they played was a gala day, with thousands turned out day or night
The men took their wives and kids to the game to witness this beautiful sight
With Walker at right half and Jones up the front, Paddy Bonner and Tully the wing.
They tortured defences and turned keepersâ heads and they sported the White and the Green

It was at Windsor Park one cold Boxing Day Bob Bryson and Jones chased the ball
Jones leapt to his feet and just gave a shrug, though Bryson did not move at all
The Blue men were outraged though the tackle was fair
They wanted Jim Jones at all costs

At the end of the game they invaded the pitch, they dragged him all over the moss
They kicked him and punched him and then cracked his ribs, they wanted him out of the game
The fact he was Orange, it just didn't count, they then broke his leg, left him lame

He lay there in Limbo his senses were dimmed, his team-mates they broke down in tears
Now Celtic withdrew from the Irish League, so it's died o'er this past 40 years
Oh Celtic, oh Celtic, oh what have they done? That great football team we all knew
Their spirit is broken the fans they are gone, destroyed by the Red White and Blue

It may seem rather hard to comprehend for many modern day supporters of both sides of the Old Firm, but the Protestant and Catholic communities in Northern Ireland were far closer and respectful of each other in those days. I idolised my grandfather and my father, who were both Protestants who happened to support Belfast Celtic. They werenât alone.

While Belfast Celtic were named after their Scottish counterparts, and set up to support charitable causes, they had no distinctive signing policy like the Glasgow team.

Many of their players were Protestant, including Jim Jones, the Orangeman who had his legs broken by the Linfield support that day.

I love football. I always did and always will. Without Belfast Celtic to follow as I grew up, I followed Glentoran, and still do.

I still keep in touch with all my old friends. A while ago a friendâs mother passed away, and her funeral was at St Colmcilles Chapel. I attended to show my respects, and after the funeral, I was invited to the family shindig. For anyone who doesn't know, these wakes and funerals in Ireland last for days. Of course I was the first one called up on the stage for a song. At a guess there would have been 40 Irish Catholics and 10 Irish Protestants present.

All of those present knew that I was the writer of âThe Famine Songâ, as it was rebranded by others, or âDirty Blightersâ as I had written it. I was asked to sing said ditty, to the delight of all those present.

Nothing would do but I had to exhaust my whole song book for them including one I wrote condemning an old sectarian signing policy that Linfield used to employ. Other traditional Irish folk songs followed, including a few that would raise some eyebrows amongst hardliners on both sides of the religious divide! You see, despite the hatred and division that some bigots wish to maintain in Northern Ireland, many of us can live together, respect one another and try our best to overcome these barriers. The barriers are put up by bigots and hypocrites, like Phil McGillivan.

I can recall when the Orange Walk was genuinely a cultural celebration by Protestants, and Catholics proudly joined the celebrations of liberty from oppression.

In those days there were no riots on the 12th, Orange Halls were not attacked, and Orangemen did not have to run the gauntlet to march down a street.

In those days, we all sported a shamrock and celebrated St Patrickâs Day together too.

Of course, Phil wouldnât know that, and neither would his other âPlastic Paddyâ partner-in-crime Kieron Brady, as neither they, nor their parents live or have lived in Ulster.

After the troubles started, and the Republicans started brainwashing and intimidating ordinary Catholics, any semblance of community was lost for decades. Despite propaganda telling us this is on the mend, nothing could be further from the truth.

My song about the Linfield sectarian signing policy is below.

There's only a place in my heart for one team, those magical colours of Red Black and Green
For every one player is welcomed by me no matter his background, religion or creed
But bigotry raises its ugly head, some try to ruin football and leave it for dead
But their taunts and slogans can bother me none for I'm more of a Proddie than those Linfield scum.

If Linfield's complaining then don't come to me, just tell Gerry Adams for he's your MP
If the going gets tough and the times do get lean, Iâll ask Pope John Paul to bless my wee team
So don't kid yourselves that you are the elite, youâre not even fit to lick Jim Cleary's feet!
Itâs because of religion and bias and hate that has our wee country in such a bad state

So here is my message, Tom Connell and friends, the fans are behind you we'll cheer you no end.
Just play good football we've given you the nod and who knows you might even marry a Prod.
So Glenmen unite and the team do us proud and sneer at the vermin in that hostile crowd
I know in my heart that this wish will come true and silence that scum who shame Red White and Blue

You see, my songs have always been about challenging the bigotry and hypocrisy that has historically been a blight on the game of football in Ireland and in Scotland.
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can you tell me a bit more about this signing policy that celtic (the glasgow one ) had?

Mind The Duck · Sep 30, 2012

We only signed players from Hibs

DevAdvocate · Sep 30, 2012

the shadowknows said: ↑

can you tell me a bit more about this signing policy that celtic (the glasgow one ) had?
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Apparently it was "distinctive".

Mind The Duck · Sep 30, 2012

Celtic showed hints of racism by ONLY playing scotsmen in the 1967 European Cup Final

Rustie bugmuncher · Sep 30, 2012

DevAdvocate said: ↑

Apparently it was "distinctive".
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at least the guy who wrote this had the good sense to align himself with a team which did not have such a distinctive signing policy

DevAdvocate · Sep 30, 2012

the shadowknows said: ↑

at least the guy who wrote this had the good sense to align himself with a team which did not have such a distinctive signing policy
Click to expand...

I suppose one could say Rangers had a "selective" signing policy.

The Famine Song Origins

Medro Well-Known Member

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The Famine Song Origins

Medro Well-Known Member

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Big Audio Dynamite Well-Known Member

Mind The Duck Well-Known Member

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Mind The Duck Well-Known Member

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