ABSTRACT
Rebel songs did not disappear with the end of rebellion, as this chapter makes clear. Rather, they were incorporated into a system of establishment political parties, each seeking to lay its claim to the heritage of the revolutionaries who defeated Britain. In state ceremony and symbolism, Irish governments defined Ireland by its revolution, most notably in the choice of national anthem, ‘The Soldier’s Song’ (of which the process of choosing is discussed here in depth). Thus, different political groups, some paramilitary in character but most constitutional, sought to associate themselves with the same image. The legacy of anti-establishment politics, as the Irish example makes clear, can be appropriated through music by new establishments after the revolution.
