jslarkin

Firstly, the ‘up the ra’ song is nowadays seen as a reference to a certain republican-cartel, and anyone who advocates for any chorus line, be that loyalist singers, or republican, are no better than those who sang the song in question. It’s also a well-known fact that sectarian songs have been part of certain football clubs associated with the North of Ireland, and Scotland, and that quite a number of those airs, glorify and mock murders.

Secondly, as a catholic, and one-time-republican, and someone who worked cross-community when it was frowned upon, and who made good friends during that time across the divide; the song – ‘oo ah, up the ra‘ doesn’t have anything to do with football. In fact, while Loyalists also descend to these petty things, and I have written about them; then for me to remain silent when this nonsense occurs would be to silently support it, and I won’t do that.

This has nothing to do with being Irish, let alone nationalism, and those who support this, that I’ve seen across Facebook – are supporters of the ‘provo-shame feign, republican-cartel,’ which is no surprise. But to go further, would say that there’s a majority of those Provo/Shame Feign supporters, whodon’t have a clue about The Troubles, let alone the Proclamation.

I’d also be sure there’s a lot of johnny, if not jenny-come-lately’s among them – seen in the posting of comments about the apology issued after the ‘song’ was posted. Personally, I believe the Irish team coach should have apologised verbally, and on paper, and every member of that squad be made to put their signatures to it, or told bye-bye. Because if anyone believes that the song posted, was not offensive to those English people who had relatives killed in bomb explosions in England during the 1970s, I say think again. Fact is, that no one has a monopoly on death or murder, and anyone who believes their arguments or beliefs are morally superior to those espoused by the others, is kidding themselves.

As a writer, I feel it is incumbent upon me to say it how it should be said and not follow the narrative I’m expected to, because I’m a fenian, or my past links to republicanism, or that I hail from a nationalist community, I’m not like that, I never have been, and always been able to make my own decisons about things. This sectarian, racist, them and us – nonsense, never seems to end, and while it’s a common theme with loyalists on the 12th of July every year, still, there’s always some eejit wanting to shove something down the others throat.

I believe that the people of the north have more in common with each other than they will admit to. I also believe the people of Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales, have more commonality in our roots that they care to discuss, let alone delve into. Indeed, there are families across the water with their roots in pre-starved Ireland. I’m not sure how many generations that is, but they do exist, and they are by the passage of time both Irish and British, and this should be acknowledged more.

Truth be told, I don’t like it when the orange bandsmen stop, beat their lambegs, and sing sectarian songs outside Catholic chapels, and I don’t believe they should be marching though, let alone past any Catholic area, because there is an element who use the ‘twelfth’ for sectarianism, and that cannot be denied or hidden. Yet, sectarianism also exists on the Catholic side, certainly within the provo-shame feign cartel support, seen in facebook posts concerning the aforementioned song. Amazingly, that cartel seem to forget, that courtesy of the GFA they signed up to – are in fact a pro-british cartel, loyal-republicans just like their loyalist-co-partners in crime.

Sadly, this Irish team, will instead of their footbal acheivement; always be remembered for a song that is supportive and glorifies the Provo/Shame Feign, and no apology will ever appease those who lost loved ones during The Troubles, to the Provos, including those on the mainland. However, it’s very possible that the mechanisms are already in motion that will see the kid who posted the song, punished for it, because there always has to be a scapegoat rather than a flock of them, which in this instance would be wrong, because it was a chorus line.