Wexford councillor calls for Amhrán na bhFiann to be taught in all schools

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

For over two weeks we have watched on in silence as countries from across the globe have belted out their national anthems on the world stage. From the familiar Flower of Scotland, La Marseillaise, and God Save the King to the jazzy South American and Latin numbers, the sight of fans and players uniting over 60 seconds of forgettable music has been as much a part of the World Cup as the VAR controversies and the hydration breaks.

However, according to one Enniscorthy councillor, Ireland’s absence from the tournament has prevented us from embarrassing ourselves in front of an international audience - for reasons apart from the obvious.

At the monthly meeting of the Enniscorthy Municipal District (EMD), Councillor John O’Rourke submitted a motion in which he called upon Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton to reintroduce, in all schools, the “teaching of our national anthem As Gaeilge, so that our tradition and heritage continues into the future”.

Explaining why he had felt compelled to submit the motion, Cllr O’Rourke said many young people in Ireland do not know the words to Amhrán na bhFiann.

“When you’re watching Ireland’s international games, or even GAA games, I’m always shocked to see the amount of young people in the crowd who don’t know the words,” he said. “We’re constantly talking about our heritage and preserving it, but if the leaders of tomorrow are not able to sing the national anthem and show pride in their country it’s a sad day.”

With Cllr Barbara Anne Murphy pointing out that 2026 marked the 100th anniversary of our national anthem, Cllr O’Rourke noted that during the last big centenary celebrations not enough was done to promote the song.

“During the 2016 celebrations there were flags erected everywhere and the Proclamation of Independence was sent to the schools, but there was nothing done in relation to the national anthem.

“Our gaelscoils have it, but we need to ensure our other schools are teaching it too.”

The motion was seconded by Cllr Aidan Browne and will now be sent to Minister Naughton for her consideration.

Amhrán na bhFiann was formally adopted as the national anthem of Ireland on July 12, 1926.