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Public consultation to be held on the Irish National Anthem

A public consultation is to be held by Seanad Éireann on the national anthem, Amhrá...
Newstalk
Newstalk

16.09 11 Jan 2017


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Public consultation to be held...

Public consultation to be held on the Irish National Anthem

Newstalk
Newstalk

16.09 11 Jan 2017


Share this article


A public consultation is to be held by Seanad Éireann on the national anthem, Amhrán na bhFiann.

Fianna Fáil's Seanad spokesperson on foreign affairs, Senator Mark Daly is due to act as coordinator.

Senator Daly says: "The purpose of this initiative is to invite submissions from interested parties or citizens to consider the most appropriate way for the State to treat the national anthem.

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"The basis of this public consultation comes from the recent change to the copyright of both the music, and lyrics, in Irish and English, of Amhrán na bhFiann.

"All are now out of copyright since 2012, and it's imperative that rules and guidelines are put in place to protect the anthem.

"Over the next number of months, Seanad Éireann will consult with citizens on their views on this issue."

Senator Daly added: "When copyright expired in 2012, Fine Gael gave a strong commitment to act on the issue.

"However, despite many attempts by me and other members of Seanad Éireann to force them into acting, they have done nothing to protect this important anthem."

He says the lack of strict copyright in place for the national anthem has left it "exposed".

The national anthem, called 'The Soldier's Song', was written in 1907 by Peadar Kearney.

It was first published in the newspaper, Irish Freedom in 1912, but was not widely known until it was sung at the GPO during the Easter Rising of 1916.

The chorus was formally adopted as the national anthem in 1926.


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