Ireland’s Call: quick facts
- Written by: Phil Coulter, the songwriter from Derry.
- When: 1995, commissioned by the Irish Rugby Football Union for the Rugby World Cup in South Africa.
- Why: the Ireland rugby team represents the whole island, north and south, so it needed an anthem that players and fans from both sides of the border could sing.
- When it’s played: at home games in Dublin, after the national anthem “Amhrán na bhFiann”; at away games, on its own.
If you’ve ever watched Ireland play rugby, you’ll have noticed that they sometimes sing two anthems. The first is Ireland’s national anthem. The second, sung with arms around shoulders, is “Ireland’s Call”, and it has become one of the most stirring sounds in sport.
Why does Ireland have two anthems in rugby?
Ireland was partitioned in 1921, but Irish rugby never split. The Irish Rugby Football Union, founded in the 1870s, still runs one team for the whole island, with players from both Northern Ireland and the Republic. That’s something to be proud of, but it raised a tricky question: what should the team sing?
“Amhrán na bhFiann” (“The Soldier’s Song”) is the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland. For many players and supporters from Northern Ireland, particularly from unionist backgrounds, it isn’t their anthem, and during the Troubles asking them to stand for it was a sensitive issue.
Phil Coulter’s answer
In 1995, ahead of the Rugby World Cup, the IRFU asked Phil Coulter to write something new. Coulter, who grew up in Derry and had already written hits for artists around the world and songs like “The Town I Loved So Well”, came up with “Ireland’s Call”, a song about the four provinces of Ireland standing together, shoulder to shoulder.
It was criticised at first. Some felt it was bland, or that it was replacing the national anthem. But over the years it has won over most of the crowd, and it’s now sung with real passion by players and fans from all over the island. It’s also used by other all-Ireland teams, including the Ireland cricket and hockey teams.
How it works today
At home matches in Dublin, the team and crowd sing “Amhrán na bhFiann” followed by “Ireland’s Call”. At away matches, only “Ireland’s Call” is played. Watch any big Ireland match and you’ll see the players, arms linked, singing it at full volume before kick-off.
Ireland’s Call FAQ
Who wrote Ireland’s Call?
Phil Coulter, in 1995.
Why does the Ireland rugby team have two anthems?
Because the team represents both Northern Ireland and the Republic. “Ireland’s Call” is an anthem that everyone on the island can sing.
Is Ireland’s Call the Irish national anthem?
No. The national anthem of the Republic of Ireland is “Amhrán na bhFiann”. “Ireland’s Call” is a sporting anthem for all-island teams.
More Irish sporting moments
- Johnny Sexton’s drop goal in Paris
- Hurling: the best goals and how it works
- Ireland v the All Blacks, Chicago 2016
- Zombie: how a Cranberries song became Ireland’s rugby anthem
- The Irish fans who won over Europe
Featured image: still from the official Celtic Thunder video on YouTube.
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