ABSTRACT
When the First World War broke out in 1914, Ireland was still an integral part of the United Kingdom, and over the next 4 years more than 200,000 Irishmen and women joined in the war effort, the greater number of them as volunteers. In Ireland however, one cannot sum up this 4-year period by exploring only issues related to the First World War on the continent: the Dublin Lockout (1913–1914), was probably the most important industrial dispute in Irish history, and this social conflict was also reflected in the lyrics penned and shared by Irish songsters at home and abroad. But the nationalist-led Easter Rising of 1916 inspired even more musical production. This chapter will aim at describing the extremely varied sources of inspiration for the songs written and sung in Ireland during those troubled times, from daily life to the Gaelic cultural revival, and from devoted nationalism to unselfish support for the war effort of the United Kingdom. It will also consider the political, social and artistic consequences of the First World War in Ireland and the most important changes that took place during this 4-year period, also as substantiated in the Irish repertoire or in the lives of Irish musicians and singers.
