Ireland's Call: Phil Coulter explains how rugby anthem was written
Stevie Mulrooney, not pictured, attracted attention for his performance of Ireland’s Call ahead of the recent Six Nations match against Italy (Brian Lawless/PA)
Phil Coulter has said one of the most difficult songs he ever had to write was Ireland’s Call.
Speaking on Conversations with Gerry Kelly, the composer said the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) approached him to come up with a new song which could be sung by supporters and players from the whole island.
He added: “There was an uncomfortable situation where there were a lot of players and supporters from Ulster, and when Amhran na bhFiann, the Soldier’s Song, would be sung, it wasn’t their national anthem.
“I was called into a meeting by the IRFU, who said they needed to address the situation.”
Coulter said former Ireland captain Willie Anderson, from Tyrone, told him that in the run-up to the first rugby World Cup finals in 1987 in Australia, a number of Ulster players were injured on their way to Dublin by a bomb which killed a Lord Justice and his wife.
He went on: “So, it was deemed not to be appropriate to play the Soldier’s Song.
“A member of the Irish squad found a cassette in his kit bag by James Last which included the song The Rose of Tralee.”
Andy Farrell praises Stevie Mulrooney's rendition Ireland’s Call
The songwriter said it was a “lovely song but not one you want to go to war with”, and the IRFU decided it needed a new track which could be sung before matches.
Coulter said writing the lyrics was tricky because he had to avoid words like ‘united we stand’ and ‘a 32-county Ireland’ for fear of causing people offence.
He revealed the key to finding the right words was settling on ‘the four proud provinces of Ireland’.
The musician told the show that it was special for him to hear tens of thousands of fans singing Ireland’s Call before international games in the Aviva Stadium with his sons.
He added: “When I fall off the perch and they’re going to a rugby match, they’ll still be singing my song, and that’s a feeling you can’t quantify. It’s kind of heartwarming.”
