Wolfe Tones frontman Brian Warfield has blasted “the begrudgers” who called for the women’s national team to apologise for singing ‘Ooh ah, up the ‘Ra’.
The singer even disputed the song was connected with the Provisionals. Speaking yesterday, Warfield said: “The song they celebrated with was their own choice. It happened to be a great song written by me. And I support the song the whole way through.”
Ireland women’s team manager Vera Pauw and the FAI have apologised after a video went viral of players singing the pro-IRA chant in the dressing room after their play-off win over Scotland. Brian explained he wrote Celtic Symphony in 1987 to celebrate the centenary of Glasgow Celtic Football Club and the ‘Up the ‘Ra’ lines in it referred to graffiti he saw on a wall in the Scottish city.
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He said: “The people in Glasgow always remember the days they supported Ireland for civil rights. And who’s to say it’s not the IRA of 1916? It’s not specified in the song at all. It’s a great chant for Irish people because we do love our heroes and we don’t like to be bullied."
He also said he is “very proud” of the team’s achievement and plans to book a ticket to the Women’s World Cup finals for the first time in Australia/New Zealand. He said: “There are begrudgers every time something good happens in Ireland. These begrudgers have insulted the players and the team. The team should be apologised to - not the other way around.
“The foundation of our country is based on the IRA. It’s our history and how dare the players be bullied into apologising. I think it’s disgraceful. Irish people celebrate with Irish songs and the team can celebrate however they want.”
Members of the triumphant Irish side – who beat Scotland 1-0 to secure a ticket to a first-ever World Cup appearance – were videoed singing Up the ‘Ra as well as Taylor Swift’s Love Song during their celebrations. At a press conference yesterday at Hilton Hotel in North Dublin, Ms Pauw said: “From the bottom of our hearts we are so sorry because there is no excuse for hurting people. It was unnecessary.”
The Dutch-born Ireland manager said she has spoken with several players about it “and the girl who posted it cried in her room and has apologised.” A spokesman for the governing body said: “The Football Association of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team Manager Vera Pauw apologise for any offence caused by a song sung by players in the Ireland dressing room.”
In an Instagram post Republic of Ireland player James McClean quoted a Wolfe Tones song lyric to write: “Let the people sing their stories and their songs and the music of their native land.”
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