The song which is titled ‘The Voice of Ógra Shinn Féin’, broadly describes the 10 years of Ógra, the actions and the role they play in Ireland’s freedom struggle, and traces its history back to Na Fianna Éireann formed in 1909.
The song writer Liam Lappin said that he got inspiration for the song from seeing the strong, vibrant display of Ógra Shinn Féin at last year’s National Hungerstrike Rally.
He said,
“At last year’s Hungerstrike Rally there were hundred’s of young republicans’ marching proudly as Ógra Shinn Féin, I wanted to write a song that captured the strong spirit that I witnessed that day.”
“A lot of songs rightly trace the history of the republican struggle, and the role the youth have played. I wanted to write a song that remembers the part that Ógra Shinn Féin are playing in the struggle today.”
To listen to song click here.
24 comments:
No offence to Liam, and not bad for what it is, but the whole concept of an Ógra song is corny to the extreme. And whats with the rising of the right hand!?!? Are we facists?!?
Great, great, song! Long time coming - sound brilliant! Coleen
Just listened to it. Got to give it to you - brilliant tune and lyrics.
Was in the Basque country last year and the youth movement there Segi have many songs wrote about them and are extremely popular.
Hope this is the start of many more.
Michael
Great initiative - i always thought that it was something lacking. There aren't many modern day rebel songs, hope this can be the start of something.
Fair play Liam. Caoimhe
Thanks for writing the song for us Liam. I think its excellent.
Not everyday you get a song wrote about you lol
While i accept that the criticism is in a comradely fashion, I think pobail is wrong!
This is a great way of popularising republican youth and Ógra, and i think it is offensive to say that saomething is corny considering the time that the writer obviously spent on it.
Also as an Ógra member, I think its great that a song has been written about our organisation. I don't know if your a member pobail, but if so, its not really a nice thing to say considering someone has just done us a great deed.
And fascist! If you don't like the song fair enough, but to denegrate it into something like that, its very clear that Republicans are Socialists, no matter what hand you raise. We are for Socialism and freedom, and if i recall the song talks about of Ireland of Equals.
As an Ógra member I'll be proud to play and sing this song.
Michelle McAntee
Agree with Michelle - think this is a great song. Hope to hear this in the Hatfield come september Lappin. A
Gotta agree with brian, its just not really necessary and makes us lokk a little full of ourself. Plus using the tune to Loughgall Martyrs is just a bit wrong.
No offence to Liam, he's a great voice and I look forward to seeing him play.
Agree with Liam when he says the impressive crowd of Ogra at the Hungerstrike rally. Was brilliant, with the blankets, colour party and youth against the h blocks. Saw a video recently of the march, the ogra section goes back as far as the eye can see and the Ogra superstar Eugene Garvey is speaking with a blanket around him.
Anyway - great song. Catches the defiance and spirit of republican youth and ogra!
John Mc
Oisin obviously doesn't know his rebel ballads - cuz that most certainly is not the tune for the Loughgall martyrs.
It must be a new tune that was wrote for the lyrics cuz ive never heard it before and ive got quite a large rebel collection.
How does it make us look full of ourselves? A song writer wrote a song for us, its hardly ogra being big headed.
Sometimes ogra activists need to stand up for their organisation and defend it from attack, but yet here is a great initiative and people are anticipating what could be said negatively rather than being proud to play this and defend what i believe is a great song.
I agree with you however Liam has a great voice - you should here him in the Hatfield lol
Michelle
Go on Lappy boy - nice one! Sean
Love the song. Can I have contact details for this band?
North Tipp ÓSF
The bands webite is www.paddywagon.co.nr , you should get contact details there.
Amazing song lappy!! you've put everything that we are about into it and sounds class!! youve done a good deed for us, and people like oisin dont appreciate it!!before i read the comments i knew oisin was gonna say something about it!! Wise up oisin will ye!!!!
Stevie
Brilliant Song Lappy boy-well done.
This is a song which Ógra should be proud of. I would like to see this become an anthem for Ógra- just in such a way as the Flag of na Fianna was for NFÉ before they were stood down in the early 90's.
Once again well done lappin!!!
The reference to facism arises from the line 'rise up your right arm for freedom' which is commonly associated with facism. A clenched fist salute is generally associated with left wing groups, generally with the left fist, though sometimes done with the right, any reference to it in a song should either refer to the left FIST or to no particular side at all.
As to popularising Ógra among Irish youth, this song only reaches a small constituency of young people, those already fans of mediocre rebel songs. Irish youth does span wider then that and to be truely relevant we need to be relevant outside our own little box.
I think that is a more sensible comment from pobail, but I think the fact that it is a song about young republicans therefore definately not fascist.
Also it is obvious from his/her comments that pobail's criticism of the song comes from their distaste of rebel music,
"this song only reaches a small constituency of young people, those already fans of mediocre rebel songs."
I think that rebel music has played a powerful role in popularising the struggle and keeping spirits high in hard times, I happen to like it, but if you don't then at least recognise that role it has played. Who could fail to be inspired by 'Song for Marcella' or 'The Loughgall Martyrs'?
I do agree however with pobail, rebel music is a small constituency of listeners compared to pop music, but if he goes up to the Devenish on a saturday Night to see Sheebeen with 2000 people singing Republican chants, then thats hardly something to be ignored, I therefore think this avenue should not be abandoned.
But if pobail doesn't like a rebel song why doesn't pobail get the spinning dexs out or play a bit of rock or ska music, or whatever their taste is.
At the end of the day its only a song! (A good one at that!)
CG
I am encouraged by most of the comments that have been written about the Ógra song over the past couple of days. However, I would like to make a couple of points in relation to the song. ‘The raising up of the right hand’ has been interpreted by some as being fascist. This is certainly not the case. I included this line to signify freedom, resistance and the fight for equality. Although ‘The Loughgall Martyrs’ is one of my favourite songs, I take offence at any suggestion that I have ‘used its tune’. If critics are going to accuse me of infringing on copyright, I would appreciate it if they could provide genuine evidence of this.
Finally I would like to thank all those comrades who have left encouraging comments. Cheers
I believe that good rebel songs have a place and are of benefit to republicanism, however, this does not rank among them.
It is however far better than a song sung to me by a certain comrade not so long ago with a similar theme.
I don't think that we need to have a dance or rock song to be relavant to young people, rather we should focus on campaigns and issues that make us relevant to them and perhaps, just perhaps, someone not so close to Ógra might decide to write a song about us.
I don't see what the fuss is, you either like the song or you don't.
Ógra are involved in campaigns and actions, in my opinion this is just an added bonus to that.
Up the Republic!
Seamy
For the Attention of Pobail....
http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=96747&rendTypeId=4
Follow that link is this man a facist??
http://elviravannoort.nl/CMS/images/stories/MandelaRelease.jpg
There is also a famous photo of our own 1st blanketman Ciaran Nugent raising his fist. I couldnt find a link for it though.
I think a big deal is being made over nothing.
The song is good, but it's only a song after all. Fair play to Liam Lappin for writing it. I'm not sure why there is such a fuss?!?
I'm amused that there are more comments for this post than emerged on posts throughout the policing debate.
Yours eternally,
Baby Spice
Dont want to start a fight over this, I have no real problem with the actual song itself.
I meant absolutely no offence to Liam, I know loads of musicians and I recognise how hard it is to write a song and then put it out for all to hear. Well done on that regardless.
It's a good song, now we have something else to sing about.
And in years to come the youth of Ógra Shinn Féin will be singin' this song :)
Have to agree with Baby spice, coming up to our re-union and all, we could do a cover of this - if the songwriter allows us.
Ginger Spice!
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