Give Ireland Back To The Irish example essay topic

Reilly 1 How Irish History Affects Its Music After seven hundred years of British rule, and many uprisings that ended in failure, Ireland had reached a breakthrough. This breakthrough had an affect on many different people, especially Irish musicians. The series of uprisings and wars that led to the freedom of most of Ireland developed a new form of Irish music; the rebel songs. On Easter Monday of 1916, the first shot of the Easter Uprising was fired. Six members of the Irish Citizen Army shot a policeman on the streets of Dublin in the head. This was the start of a new era, an era where Ireland would be free.

Pearse, the Commander in chief of the Irish Citizen Army, and Connolly, the leader of the Dublin division, led the main body of troops through Dublin to the General Post Office. The G.P.A. became the rebels' headquarters for the six-day battle against the British Army. There were heavy casualties on the British side, but the Irish were still unsuccessful. There statement was made though, and they surrendered on the following Sunday. Two thousand people were arrested that day, and the leaders Reilly 2 were put to death. Even though the original opinion of the people about the uprising wasn't in favor of it, after the death of the leaders they were outraged.

(Coogan", Troubles" pigs. 19-25) In May of 1918 the remainder of the prisoners were released. The shadow government and the Irish Republican Army were established. Eamon DeVelera was the president of the shadow government, and Michael Collins and Harry Boland, his right hand men, are associated with the IRA's establishment. The IRA performed many rebellious acts towards the British and any Irish spies that they hired.

The British felt that something needed to be done but did not have the troops due to the First World War. To work around this they sent in a hand-picked elite group that were called the Black and Tans. An Irish spy that was giving information to the IRA in return for his life informed them of the Black and Tans addresses. They then went and killed many of them. This led to the British calling a truce. 35-42) Michael Collins was chosen to go over to London to negotiate this truce.

They came to an agreement that Reilly 3 Ireland, except six northern counties known as Ulster, would become a free state, but still pledge allegiance to Britain. Collins felt that this was a stepping stone towards a republic. (Coogan, "Michael Collins", pigs. 9-20) When he came back to make the agreement known, DeVelera disagreed with it. He didn't want to settle with anything but full freedom as a republic.

In Michael Collins eyes this was nothing but a declaration of all out war. So they took a vote of the people to see what they wanted. The majority chose to keep the agreement. DeVelera got a group that felt the same way as he did together to form an alliance.

Meanwhile Michael Collins and the newly formed free state had developed an official army. 23-35) DeVelera's people and Michael Collins army ended going into civil war. After many deaths, DeVelera called Collins up to Beal na Bla, County Cork to talk out some sort of compromise. But it was all a setup, and Michael Collins was killed. The Irish Army ended up winning any way, and in 1923 DeVelera was imprisoned. 36-49) Reilly 4 Only a year later DeVelera was released, and in 1932 he formed a new government for Ireland and became President.

It wasn't until 1948 that the new government declared the Irish free state a republic. But the North was still under British control. (Coogan, "The Rebels", pigs. 15-28) To this day Ireland still lacks its northern six counties.

The problem with making them part of Ireland is that the British have moved many people from England over there, so that they now make up the majority. So, when a vote is taken to see the amount of people who want to be part of Ireland, it's only the minority. The troubles there have become religious because the Irish tend to be Catholic, and the English tend to be Protestant. The Protestants and the British Army run the police force and they either do not help the Catholics out at all, or they treat them very harshly and often times kill them. This problem has attempted to be solved; always ending in failure, including a peace agreement that fell out early this summer. 67-81) Reilly 5 All of the events that have been mentioned have greatly affected Irish music, even starting way before the Easter Uprising.

For example, "Solas", a popular Irish band, has a song called My Johnny's Gone for a Soldier. In this song a women sings about her husband being a member of the "Wild Geese", a group of men that went to France to get help for the Irish cause after they were crushed by the British in 1601. The meaning of the song is that she understands why her husband had to go, and that she, too, would do almost any thing to help. One line in particular says it well; "I'll sell my rack I'll sell my reel, I'll sell my only spinning wheel, and buy my love a sword of steel". (Solas, 1996- track-4) There is an abundance of rebel songs about the more recent times, 1916 and later. Modern music of Ireland was so greatly affected by the history, that almost every C.D. of Irish music that I looked at had at least one rebel song on it.

One highly influenced group is the "Wolftones". They have so many great songs out about the Irish Troubles. One of the most straightforward ones being Michael Collins. It tells of the great things that Collins had done for Ireland and how he bravely faced and brought down the Reilly 6 British. One line says of the 1919 uprising that led to Irelands freedom; "for years Mick eluded their soldiers and spies, for he was the master of clever disguise...

And soon Mother England had asked for a truce". Another line puts a great lesson forward, and tells of the Civil War and Collins' death. .".. a sad lesson spurn that brother and brother they never should turn, alas that a split in our ranks here we saw Mick Collins stretched lifeless in lone Beal na Bla". (Wolftones, 1995, track-8) Another song from the Civil War is The Irish Free State from a C.D. called "Galvin: Songs of Resistance". It has a couple of great lines that show the Civil War in DeVelera's eyes. The lines "What kind of thing is a free state? A free state that's bound up with red white and blue".

And. ".. they want just an Irish Republic, without all those trimmings of red white and blue". Show that the free state will do know well in his mind. They " ll still have their flag and have to pledge to their King, which is what the phrase "red, white, and blue" stands for. (Galvin, 1994, track-6) Reilly 7 There are many different views on the Irish Troubles but one that is not often stressed is the humorous side to it.

Johnson's Motor Car by "The Clancy Brothers" tells of one story during an uprising against Britain that is rather funny. The IRA had spread by word that they would meet at Dunbar, but the rebels had no way of getting there. They called a man called Johnson and ordered a motor car, and when it got there they stole it and drove it up to where they were to meet. There are two very funny lines. One being "he said I have a permit to travel near and far, to hell with your English permit, we want your motor car" and the other being, "We " ll give you a receipt for it, and when Ireland gets it's Freedom, you " ll get your motor car". The rhythm and the whole song itself are a very light hearted way to look at the ordeal.

(The Clancy Brothers, 1994, track-9) The problems that Northern Ireland is dealing with right now also greatly affect the music. The harsh treatments that they receive are hard to imagine but the song The Men Behind The Wire sums it up pretty good. One line gives an example of the atrocities that the Irish go through in the North: "British soldiers came marauding, Reilly 8 Wrecking little homes with scorn. Heedless of the crying children, Dragging fathers from their beds, Beating sons while helpless mothers, Watched the blood flow from their heads". In Northern Ireland the Irish have no rights to any form of trial, due to the fact that the British run the police force.

Another line from this song tells of this: "Not for them a judge or jury, Or indeed a crime at all. Being Irish means they " re guilty, So we " re guilty one and all". (Wolftones, 1995, track-6) Another problem in the North is that they are not allowed to display the Republic's flag, also known as the wearing of the green. And there is a song by that title that sings about this. One line goes: " She's got the most distressful country that ever yet has seen, For they " re hanging men and women for the wearing of the green".

Another goes like this: " So if the color we must wear be England's cruel red, let it remind us of the blood that Irishmen have shed". This song has a great rebellious ending to it saying that until the grass in the north grows red and the summer leaves, too, that they " ll continue the wearing of the green. (The Clancy Brothers, 1994, track-8) Reilly 9 The Troubles have also had an effect on the Irish-American groups such as "Blackthorn."Blackthorn" is a local Irish Rock group that consists of all American members. One of their songs, properly titled Give Ireland Back to the Irish, gives British something to think about: "Great Britain, how would you like it if on your way to work you were stopped by Irish soldiers? Would you stand there, do nothing, would you give into those men?" It then goes on with: .".. give Ireland back to the Irish, don't make them have to take it away.

Give Ireland back to the Irish, make Ireland Irish today". In another one of their songs, Molly Maguire, they have the greatest line that I have ever heard, and a question that I think every Irishman wants the answer to. It goes: "Why did you shoot at us, for we never fired at you". This asks why did Britain take over Ireland in the first place.

They had never done anything to them. (Blackthorn, 1995, tracks 1 and 6) These examples of songs were only a small portion of how Irish Music was affected by its history. There are many more examples, but the amount of time that it would take to mention all of them is unthinkable. The Troubles in Ireland are ones that are not very much known, but are Reilly 10 very serious and sad. Hopefully one day the country will get it's full freedom, fore every person should have that right.