Irish National Anthem

Irish National Anthem The Flag of Ireland

The Irish National Anthem is Amhrán na bhFiann which in English means A Soldier's Song. It was composed by Peadar Kearney and Patrick Heeney 1907.

A Soldier's Song was originally written in English, but was translated into Irish by Liam Ó Rinn in 1923 which is what is now usually sung as the national anthem.

Before it became the national anthem, it was sung as a rebel song during the Easter Rising and gained popularity until July 12, 1926 when the chorus of the song became officially adopted as the national anthem.

The Irish National Anthem is generally performed in march time, however it sometimes done at different tempos. Neither the Irish nor the English version has been made the official version.

The lyrics to A Soldier's Song were written in 1907 by Peadar Kearney and were put to music by Peader Kearney and Patrick Heeney. It was first published by Irish Freedom, a Fenian newspaper, in 1912. It became popular as an Army song.

In 1924, the Unionists in Ireland still used "God Save the King" as the national anthem, but the nationalists wanted The Soldier's Song to be used. "Let Erin Remember" was used as the Irish national anthem at the Olympics in Paris in 1924. Finally on July 12, 1926 the Executive Council adopted A Soldiers Song as the national anthem of Ireland.

Irish National Anthem

Amhrán na bhFiann

Peadar Kearney and Patrick Heeney
- translation from English by Liam Ó Rinn

Seo dhibh a cháirde duan Óglaigh,
Cathréimeach briomhar ceolmhar,
Ár dtinte cnámh go buacach táid,
'S an spéir go min réaltogach
Is fonnmhar faobhrach sinn chun gleo
'S go tiúnmhar glé roimh thíocht do'n ló
Fé chiúnas chaomh na hoiche ar seol:
Seo libh canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann.

Curfá:
Sinne Fianna Fáil
A tá fé gheall ag Éirinn,
buion dár slua
Thar toinn do ráinig chugainn,
Fé mhóid bheith saor.
Sean tír ár sinsir feasta
Ní fhagfar fé'n tiorán ná fé'n tráil
Anocht a théam sa bhearna bhaoil,
Le gean ar Ghaeil chun báis nó saoil
Le guna screach fé lámhach na bpiléar
Seo libh canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann.

Cois bánta réidhe, ar árdaibh sléibhe,
Ba bhuachach ár sinsir romhainn,
Ag lámhach go tréan fé'n sár-bhrat séin
Tá thuas sa ghaoith go seolta
Ba dhúchas riamh d'ár gcine cháidh
Gan iompáil siar ó imirt áir,
'S ag siúl mar iad i gcoinne námhad
Seo libh, canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann.

Curfá

A bhuíon nách fann d'fhuil Ghaeil is Gall,
Sin breacadh lae na saoirse,
Ta scéimhle 's scanradh i gcroíthe namhad,
Roimh ranna laochra ár dtire.
Ár dtinte is tréith gan spréach anois,
Sin luisne ghlé san spéir anoir,
'S an bíobha i raon na bpiléar agaibh:
Seo libh, canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann.

Curfá

English Lyrics

The Soldier's Song

Peadar Kearney and Patrick Heeney

We'll sing a song, a soldier's song,
With cheering rousing chorus,
As round our blazing fires we throng,
The starry heavens o'er us;
Impatient for the coming fight,
And as we wait the morning's light,
Here in the silence of the night,
We'll chant a soldier's song.

Chorus:
Soldiers are we
whose lives are pledged to Ireland;
Some have come
from a land beyond the wave.
Sworn to be free,
No more our ancient sire land
Shall shelter the despot or the slave.
Tonight we man the gap of danger
In Erin's cause, come woe or weal
'Mid cannons' roar and rifles peal,
We'll chant a soldier's song.

In valley green, on towering crag,
Our fathers fought before us,
And conquered 'neath the same old flag
That's proudly floating o'er us.
We're children of a fighting race,
That never yet has known disgrace,
And as we march, the foe to face,
We'll chant a soldier's song.

Chorus

Sons of the Gael! Men of the Pale!
The long watched day is breaking;
The serried ranks of Inisfail
Shall set the Tyrant quaking.
Our camp fires now are burning low;
See in the east a silv'ry glow,
Out yonder waits the Saxon foe,
So chant a soldier's song.

Chorus

Did you know?

The handwritten first draft of Amhrán na bhFiann was sold at an auction in 2006 for 760,000 which in 2011 converts to more than one million dollars!
The lyrics were originally written in English but are now almost always sung in Irish.
Only the chorus is performed as the official national anthem.

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