The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Daly hits out at O’Toole national anthem article
SENATOR Mark Daly has hit back at an article by Fintan O’Toole in The Irish Times, in which Mr O’Toole questioned the merits of a proposal in the Seanad to enshrine the national anthem in law.
Senator Daly co-ordinated a public consultation process on the national anthem which fed into a draft report. Enshrining the Irish, English, and Irish Sign Language (ISL) versions of the anthem in legislation was among its recommendations.
Mr O’Toole described Amhrán na bhFiann’s lyrics as “nothing more than remnants of early 20th-century European popular militarism”. He referenced numerous public figures who have criticised the anthem, such as Roscommon TD Frank McDermott, who in 1933 said “from both a literary and a musical point of view, I would regard the ‘Soldier’s Song’ as, shall we say, a jaunty little piece of vulgarity”.
In response to Mr O’Toole, Senator Daly said the journalist “was given the opportunity to participate in the public consultation process – and he chose not to.
“That is disappointing,” the Kerry-based Senator told The Kerryman. “If he had such strongly held views, I think he should have aired them before now.
“People will always disagree about any musical composition, and I am not qualified in that regard to comment on that, unlike Mr O’Toole, who seems to possess superior knowledge. But the anthem has symbolism: it was sung in the GPO before the evacuation, sung at our most famous sporting events, and caused that famous reaction from the Irish rugby players when it was played at Croke Park.”
Senator Daly also said that 84 per cent support retaining the anthem, adding that a process in the 1920s to change the anthem did not find any suitable submissions.
It follows Senator Daly’s recent criticism of what he feels is Fine Gael Senators teaming up with independent Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh to block the enshrining of the Irish, English, and ISL versions into legislation.
When contacted by The Kerryman, Fine Gael Senator Paul Coughlan said that, as Cathaoirleach, he was not currently in a position to comment on Senator Daly’s remarks.