The emergence of "Zombie" by The Cranberries as an Irish sporting anthem

Zombie never did anything for me. Like a few Cranberries songs like Dreams. I remember reading reviews of either their 2nd or 3rd album way back and they were slated as a band then. Funny how a death can elevate.

Of course young people have a choice not to vote for SF.

Voting for someone just because they are not the current govt is not a good strategy at all.

There were almost 30k homes built last year by the way. How many do you think SF will build if they get into power?

lol they are still terrified about who's name is going to come up as a tout as so many were at it, multiple touts in the same unit at some stages all ratting on each other .

That was Eamonn Dunphy’s role at the time. He wrote some nasty stuff about John Hume.

If we apply logic to songs belted out by sporting crowds ,we will more often than not end up scratching our heads. It's all about emotion . If the D.J. plays something anthemic that the crowd sing along to, it stays on the playlist. It only has to be catchy and that most/all know the chorus .

Wales sing "DELILAH" - Logically ,one could say it's tone deaf to domestic violence. Emotionally ,Welsh fans love singing it -Tom Jones is one of their own- and no one thinks they are supporting domestic violence. It just gets the crowd/atmosphere going.

England fans sing "Swing Low" -Logically it could be seen as cultural appropriation - Emotionally ,it gets their crowd/atmosphere going. Nobody thinks they are trying to insult victims of slavery in the U.S.

A lot of sporting anthems that crowds sing seem to have no connection to logic or the sport. Sport is theatre , a roller coaster of emotions and whatever gets a crowd singing with emotion, in unison, to give their side a lift, is about the only logic one can apply as to why " this song" or "that song".

It's all a bit of a storm in a teacup i.mo.

They were. It’s estimated that about half of senior IRA figures were working for the Brits during the Troubles.

This is where I think rugby suffers a massive disconnect issue in Ireland.

There is a large section of the Irish population who simply will not be celebrating if Ireland were to win the world cup and that's sad.

We have had a narrative mostly pushed by the Irish Times and Irish Independent for over 40 years that has been anti-Irish, pro-British - putting D4 type morals on a situation those same people could not possibly understand in what is a partitioned part of this island. A lot of nasty, horrific stuff happened from all directions up there and it pollutes everything.

Look at the arguments here and see how poisonous it is.

Up the Ra is not sung by fans at ROI football matches. I would contend it's better for rugby if it has any hope to grow in this country to avoid all this.

You defend the song as a reminder of what the IRA did. Fine. Where is the reminder of what Loyalist terror gangs did? Or is all one way traffic?

Whilst sucker is given to Unionist/Orange/Loyalist supremacy which, believe me, exists to this day many rugby supporters will then go on to compound this by explaining why our own national anthem can't be played at the world cup in further deference to those same people, for example.

The way this thread is - it shows no other way but that rugby will always be the afterthought it is for most and that's sad because I love the game.

The reality is most won't care if Ireland win the world cup.

And it's not just the undertone of aloofness, sort of soft pro-Britishness - it's other issue but it all feeds in to why rugby stuggles to get the traction it could in this country.

Anyway keep the politics going.

They should do the Icelandic chant

It is a terrible, irritating song. Grates on the nerves worse than Wonderwall. No accounting for taste however.

It's been an anthem at Irish MMA event's for years now. Personally I think 80% of this country don't give a **** about it being played likewise rebel songs. The moaners need to give over.

No evidence Irish rugby fans are singing Zombie to offend anyone at all. It was voted Ireland's best song in a big poll that went on for weeks on RTE 2FM last year (beating Fairytale of New York and The Boys Are Back In Town).