In the

music of Ireland Irish music is music that has been created in various genres on the island of Ireland. The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music (or Irish folk music). It has remained vibrant through the 20th and into the 21st c ...

, Irish rebel songs are

folk songs Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has be ...

which are primarily about the various rebellions against British Crown rule. Songs about prior rebellions are a popular topic of choice among musicians which supported

Irish nationalism Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of cult ...

and

republicanism Republicanism is a political ideology that encompasses a range of ideas from civic virtue, political participation, harms of corruption, positives of mixed constitution, rule of law, and others. Historically, it emphasizes the idea of self ...

. When they discuss events during the 20th and 21st centuries, Irish rebel songs focus on

physical force Irish republicanism Irish republicanism () is the political movement for an Irish republic, void of any British rule. Throughout its centuries of existence, it has encompassed various tactics and identities, simultaneously elective and militant and has been both w ...

in the context of the

Easter Rising The Easter Rising (), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an ind ...

, the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence (), also known as the Anglo-Irish War, was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and Unite ...

, the

Anti-Treaty IRA The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty (), commonly known in Ireland as The Treaty and officially the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was an agreement between the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain an ...

during the

Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War (; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United Kingdom but within the British Emp ...

, and, more recently,

the Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...

in Northern Ireland.

History

The tradition of rebel music in Ireland date back to the period of English (and later British) crown rule, and describe historical events in

Irish history The first evidence of human presence in Ireland dates to around 34,000 years ago, with further findings dating the presence of ''Homo sapiens'' to around 10,500 to 7,000 BC. The receding of the ice after the Younger Dryas cold phase of the Qua ...

such as rebellions against the Crown and reinforcing a desire for self-determination among the Irish people and the

Irish diaspora The Irish diaspora () refers to ethnic Irish people and their descendants who live outside the island of Ireland. The phenomenon of migration from Ireland is recorded since the Early Middle Ages,Flechner, Roy; Meeder, Sven (2017). The Irish ...

. As well as a deep-rooted sense of tradition, rebel songs have nonetheless remained contemporary, and since the end of the

in 1923, the focus has moved onto the nationalist cause in Northern Ireland and the

Irish Free State The Irish Free State (6 December 192229 December 1937), also known by its Irish-language, Irish name ( , ), was a State (polity), state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-ye ...

, including support for the

, the

Provisional IRA The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; ) and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary force that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland ...

, the INLA, and

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...

. However, the subject matter is not confined to Irish history, and includes the exploits of the

Connolly Column The Connolly Column (, ) was the name given to a group of Irish socialist volunteers in the Spanish Civil War, Irish republican socialist Military volunteer, volunteers who fought for the Second Spanish Republic in the International Brigades d ...

, who fought for the Republican side in the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

, and also those who participated in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. There are also some songs that express sorrow over war (from a Republican perspective), such as ''Only our rivers run free'', and some have been covered by bands that have tweaked lyrics to be explicitly

anti-war An anti-war movement is a social movement in opposition to one or more nations' decision to start or carry on an armed conflict. The term ''anti-war'' can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conf ...

, such as the cover of ''The Patriot Game'' by Scottish band

The Bluebells The Bluebells are a Scottish indie new wave band, active between 1981 and 1986 (later reforming in 1993, 2008–2009, 2011, 2018, 2019 and 2023). Career The Bluebells performed jangly guitar-based pop not dissimilar to their Scottish conte ...

. Over the years, a number of bands have performed "crossover" music, that is, Irish rebel lyrics and instrumentation mixed with other, more pop styles. Damien Dempsey is known for his pop-influenced rebel ballads and bands like Beltaine's Fire and

Kneecap The patella (: patellae or patellas), also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in m ...

combine Rebel music with

political hip hop Political hip hop (also known as political rap and conscious hip-hop) is a subgenre of hip hop music that emerged in the 1980s as a form of political expression and activism. It typically addresses sociopolitical issues through lyrics, aiming t ...

and other genres.

Contemporary music

Irish rebel music has occasionally gained international attention.

The Wolfe Tones The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band that incorporate Irish traditional music in their songs. Formed in 1963, they take their name from Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double meaning ...

' version of '' A Nation Once Again'' was voted the number one song in the world by

BBC World Service The BBC World Service is a British Public broadcasting, public service broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC. It is the world's largest external broadcaster in terms of reception area, language selection and audience reach. It broadcas ...

listeners in 2002. Many of the more popular acts recently such as , , Athenrye, Shebeen, and are from

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

. The Bog Savages of San Francisco are fronted by an escapee from

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

's Long Kesh prison who made his break in the September 1983 " Great Escape" by the IRA. Music of this genre has often courted controversy with some of this music effectively banned from the airwaves in the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...

in the 1980s. More recently,

Derek Warfield Derek Warfield (born 15 September 1943) is an Irish singer, songwriter, historian, and a former member of the musical group The Wolfe Tones. Personal life Born in the Dublin suburb Inchicore, Warfield was educated at Synge Street CBS. He was ...

's music was banned from

Aer Lingus Aer Lingus ( ; an anglicisation of the Irish language, Irish , meaning "air fleet") is an Irish airline company which is the flag carrier of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Founded by the Irish Government, it was privatised between 2006 and 201 ...

flights, after the

Ulster Unionist The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded as the Ulster Unionist Council in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist oppositi ...

politician Roy Beggs Jr compared his songs to the speeches of

Osama bin Laden Osama bin Laden (10 March 19572 May 2011) was a militant leader who was the founder and first general emir of al-Qaeda. Ideologically a pan-Islamist, Bin Laden participated in the Afghan ''mujahideen'' against the Soviet Union, and support ...

. However, a central tenet of the justification for rebel music from its supporters is that it represents a long-standing tradition of freedom from tyranny. Themes include "Arbour Hill", about the place; "Fergal O'Hanlon", about the man; "Northern Gaels"/"Crumlin Jail", about the prison; "The Ballad of Mairead Farrell", about the woman; "Seán Treacy", about the man; and "Pearse Jordan", about the man. On the occasion of his being the first Irish actor to win the

BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Best Actor in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to recognise an actor who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in ...

in 2024 for '' Oppenheimer'',

Cillian Murphy Cillian Murphy ( ; born 25 May 1976) is an Irish actor. His works encompass both stage and screen, and his accolades include an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He made his professional debut in Enda Walsh's 1996 pl ...

quipped "It means a lot to me to be Irish. I don't know what else to say – should I sing a rebel song?".

List of notable songs by era of subject

Nine Years War

* Follow me up to Carlow *'' Róisín Dubh''

Rapparee songs

*''

Éamonn an Chnoic "Éamonn an Chnoic" ("Ned of the Hill") is a popular Sean nos song in traditional Irish music. It is a slow, mournful ballad with a somber theme and no chorus. The song is attributed to Éamonn Ó Riain (Edmund O'Ryan) (d. c. 1724), an early 1 ...

'' (a.k.a. Ned of the Hill) *'' Mná na h-Éireann''

Jacobite songs

Aisling The , , approximately ), or vision poem, is a mythopoeic poetic genre that developed during the late 17th and 18th centuries in Irish language poetry. The word may have a number of variations in pronunciation, but the ''is'' of the first s ...

* Mo Ghile Mear

Irish rising of 1798

* Boolavogue * The Boys of Wexford * The Bold Fenian Men a.k.a. Down by the Glenside * Come All You Warriors * The Croppy Boy * Dunlavin Green * The Minstrel Boy * The Rising of the Moon * The Wearing of the Green * Tone's Grave (a.k.a. Bodenstown Churchyard) * The Wind that Shakes the Barley

19th-century

* A Nation Once Again * The Fields of Athenry * God Save Ireland * The Peeler and the Goat *

Skibbereen Skibbereen (; ) is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is located in West Cork on the N71 national secondary road. The River Ilen runs through the town; it reaches the sea about 12 kilometres away, at the seaside village of Baltimore. Located ...

Easter Rising of 1916

Amhrán na bhFiann "" (), or in English, "The Soldier's Song", is the national anthem of Ireland. The music was composed by Peadar Kearney and Patrick Heeney, the original English lyrics written by Kearney, and the Irish-language translation, now usually the ...

, (a.k.a. The Soldier's Song) – officially adopted as the Irish National Anthem on 12 July 1926 *

Banna Strand Banna Strand (Irish language, Gaeilge: Trá na Beannaí), also known as Banna Beach, is a beach in North Kerry, Ireland. It is an Atlantic Ocean beach extending from the Smallrock (Roc Beag) and Blackrock in the North to Carrahane at its south ...

(a.k.a. Lonely Banna Strand) * The Broad Black Brimmer * Erin Go Bragh * The Foggy Dew (Irish ballad) *James Connolly; about the man * Oró Sé do Bheatha 'Bhaile

Irish War of Independence

* The Boys of the Old Brigade * Come Out, Ye Black and Tans * Johnston's Motor Car *

Kevin Barry Kevin Gerard Barry (20 January 1902 – 1 November 1920) was an Irish Republican Army (IRA) soldier and medical student who was executed by the British Government during the Irish War of Independence. He was sentenced to death for his part in a ...

* Mise Éire * The Valley of Knockanure

Irish Civil War

* Soldiers of '22 * Take It Down from the Mast

IRA Northern Campaign

* Sean South * The Patriot Game

The Troubles

* Belfast Brigade * Back Home in Derry, by Bobby Sands; to the tune of

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald "The Wreck of the ''Edmund Fitzgerald'' is a 1976 folk rock ballad written, composed and performed by the Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot to memorialize the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald, SS ''Edmund Fitzgerald'' ...

*Connaught Rangers (a.k.a. The Drums Were Beating), about the regiment * Four Green Fields by

Tommy Makem Thomas Makem (4 November 1932 – 1 August 2007) was an Irish folk music, folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, tin whistle, l ...

Give Ireland Back to the Irish "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" is the debut single by the British–American rock band Wings that was released in February 1972. It was written by Paul McCartney and his wife Linda in response to the events of Bloody Sunday, on 30 January th ...

* Go on home, British soldiers * The Helicopter Song *Irish Citizen Army; about the organisation *Irish Volunteers; about the organisation *Join the British Army * My Little Armalite * The Men Behind the Wire * Roll of Honour *

Sunday Bloody Sunday "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the opening track from their 1983 album '' War'' and was released as the album's third single on 21 March 1983 in the Netherlands and West Germany. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is noted ...

(by

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

and

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono (, usually spelled in katakana as ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York ...

— the U2 song of the same name is "not a rebel song") *Tiocfaidh ár lá (a.k.a. SAM song)) * You'll Never Beat the Irish * Ambush at Drumnakilly *

Arthur McBride "Arthur McBride" (also called "The Recruiting Sergeant" or "Arthur McBride and the Sergeant") is a folk song (Roud Folk Song Index, Roud 2355) probably of Irish origin, also found in England, Scotland, Australia, and North America. Describing a v ...

*The Boy from Tamlaghtduff * Dying Rebel * Four Green Fields *Gerard Casey; about the man. *Ireland Unfree; named for the oration *Joe McDonnell; about the man *Martin Hurson; about the man *Men of the West; *Only Our Rivers Run Free; by Mickey MacConnell * Pat of Mullingar * The People's Own MP * Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six *Tom Williams; about the man. * There Were Roses, by Tommy Sands

Sunday Bloody Sunday (U2 song)

The 1983 U2 album ''War'' includes the song "

", a lament for the Northern Ireland troubles whose title alludes to the 1972 Bloody Sunday shooting of Catholic demonstrators by British soldiers. In concert,

Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...

began introducing the song with the disclaimer "this song is ''not'' a rebel song". These words are included in the version on ''

Under a Blood Red Sky ''Under a Blood Red Sky'' is a live mini-album by Irish rock band U2, produced by Jimmy Iovine and released on 21 November 1983. The record's eight tracks were compiled from three concerts during the group's 1983 War Tour, including two son ...

'', the 1983 live album of the

War Tour The War Tour was a concert tour by the Irish Rock music, rock band U2, which took place in 1982 and 1983 in support of the group's third album ''War (U2 album), War''.Exact delineation of this tour is subject to various interpretations. U2's w ...

. The 1988 concert film ''

Rattle and Hum ''Rattle and Hum'' is a hybrid live/studio album by Irish rock band U2, and a companion rockumentary film directed by Phil Joanou. The album was produced by Jimmy Iovine and was released on 10 October 1988, while the film was distributed by ...

'' includes a performance hours after the 1987

Remembrance Day bombing The Remembrance Day bombing (also known as the Enniskillen bombing or Poppy Day massacre) took place on 8 November 1987 in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. A Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb exploded near County Ferm ...

in Enniskillen, which Bono condemns in a mid-song rant. In response,

Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada' Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; , ; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023) was an Irish singer, songwriter, record producer and activist. Her debut studio album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and achieve ...

released a song with the title "This is a Rebel Song", as she explains in her live album '' How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?''

Satire

* During the 1990s, Irish comedian Dermot Morgan lampooned both the

Wolfe Tones The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band that incorporate Irish traditional music in their songs. Formed in 1963, they take their name from Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double meaning of ...

and the

cliché A cliché ( or ; ) is a saying, idea, or element of an artistic work that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning, novelty, or literal and figurative language, figurative or artistic power, even to the point of now being b ...

s of Irish rebel songs by singing about the martyrdom of Fido, an Alsatian dog who saves his IRA master in the

. During a search of the house by the

Black and Tans The Black and Tans () were constables recruited into the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) as reinforcements during the Irish War of Independence. Recruitment began in Great Britain in January 1920, and about 10,000 men enlisted during the conflic ...

, Fido hides his master's

hand grenade A grenade is a small explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a Shell (projectile), shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A mod ...

by eating it. When Fido farts and the grenade explodes, the British comment: "Excuse me, mate, was there something your dog ate?!" In a parody of Thomas Osborne Davis' famous rebel song " A Nation Once Again", the song climaxes with the words: "Another martyr for old Ireland, by

Britannia The image of Britannia () is the national personification of United Kingdom, Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used by the Romans in classical antiquity, the Latin was the name variously appli ...

cruelly slain! I hope that somewhere up there I hope he'll be an Alsatian once again! An Alsatian once again! An Alsatian once again! That Fido who's now in ribbons will be an Alsatian once again!" * Irish-American actor and comedian

Denis Leary Denis Colin Leary (born August 18, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Born in Massachusetts, he first came to prominence as a stand-up comedian, especially through appearances on MTV (including the comedic song " Asshole") and th ...

engaged in a similarly brutal mockery of rebel songs and their cliches in '' Traditional Irish Song''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irish Rebel Music Rebel song Irish styles of music Political music genres Songs about revolutions 1900s in Irish music 1910s in Irish music 1920s in Irish music 1930s in Irish music 1940s in Irish music 1950s in Irish music 1960s in Irish music 1970s in Irish music 1980s in Irish music 1990s in Irish music 2000s in Irish music 2010s in Irish music 2020s in Irish music

History

Contemporary music

List of notable songs by era of subject

Nine Years War

Rapparee songs

Jacobite songs

Irish rising of 1798

19th-century

Easter Rising of 1916

Irish War of Independence

Irish Civil War

IRA Northern Campaign

The Troubles

Sunday Bloody Sunday (U2 song)

Satire

See also

References