“We Thought We Fought for Ireland”

There is no better example than the Irish Civil War of the ways in which the music of political radicalism could divide as well as unite. As the revolutionary movement split over the terms of Ireland’s independence treaty with Britain, both sides sought to claim a monopoly over the legitimate use of the nationalist musical repertoire. They also penned new songs, often to old tunes, asserting the betrayal of their opponents. Where intimidatory musical displays (such as parades) had been used against constitutional opponents or unionists before the revolution, now the two sides used such displays against one another.