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

Nasty politics? That’s hilarious considering we are discussing a song condemning the murder of two innocent children. Your lack of self awareness on this subject would be breathtaking if it wasn’t a common Shinner tactic.

Keep repeating the same lies and misinformation in the hope that eventually some people accept it as reality. It is something the Russians have done repeatedly.

Not a normal party.

I think it is one of the most genuine contributions from Micheal Martin ever.

As for the Loudersound article, that it views a racist tripe of a song like "Give Ireland back to the Irish" (and I am a huge McCartney fan) as "sincere and well-meaning", kind of puts the kibosh on any other argument it makes. By comparison to that song, "Zombie" is a multi-dimensional anthem.

There's a professor of sociology, Bill Rolston, University of Ulster, who's written a very interesting article on the history of music in the troubles.

http://statecrime.org/data/2011/10/rolston2001a.pdf

From my reading, he takes issue with how difficult it is to grasp the complex history of the conflict within the format of a pop song. Here's his take on 'Zombie'

Now I don't know about you, but I'm guessing this guy isn't calling for children to be bombed in the streets.

Is he allowed comment on the song, is his take outrageous, Micheal Martin?

Not at all, maybe some of you are genuinely of this very simplistic mindset where criticizing a pop song equates to supporting violence.

I suspect Mr Martin is trying to be a degree more cunning.

Lol, It's just another criticism I'm sharing of the song which doesn't equate to supporting violence.

As I said before, I quite like the song, just the notion that holding it up, as some sort of unquestionable history of the troubles, to attack sf supporters, is weak.

But not just weak... it's also dragging nasty politics into our sporting realm. Which I cannot stand.

Supporters or apologists for violent republicanism are going to object to the song, that is clear, we have said that from the start. Digging up articles and commentary from those who sympathise with violent republicanism only supports the viewpoint of people like myself and Micheal Martin, it does nothing to support the argument that you are making.

Lies, misinformation and spin. Repeat ad nauseum. Could Megaman be any more predictable?

Not only does he "quite like the song" and "have no issue with the song" he wants the IRFU to stop playing it as it makes SF voters "feel unwelcome". 😂

He can be a professor of whatever he likes, clearly it doesn't stop him following the same criticism of the song of many a good Republican ie. 'what about dem loyalists?'

Entitled!! There you have it folks, how the Shinners view themselves. They are entitled.

Forget about their innocent victims, forget about the families they destroyed, forget about their thuggery and criminality. They are entitled.

There is an intentional misreading of the criticisms of aspects of the song by some.

Those criticising it are not doing so because they support any terrorist activities of any kind.

Where the song is problematic is the lyrics which dismiss the lived realities of what it was like for many Catholics in the north living under a regime that discriminated against them.

That's totally separate from any attrocity.

It's got to feel really aggravating to be told by a band from Limerick far removed from northern society that everything was grand and nothing wrong really happened to them.

That's what aspects of the lyrics promote.

That only makes sense if you belive the IRA are a northern irish based entity only. They are not.

Many IRA bombers slipped back across the border to the comfort of the 26 counties.

Nowhere in the song does it refer to northern ireland, which we have learnt on this thread is a fictional place anyway.

This is not the source of the criticism of the song.

Forget about the IRA. You can have a song condemning all their attrocities without in the process promoting a fiction where gerrymandering didn't take place, where people weren't deprived of homes or employment because of their religion or politics.

It's that piece of ignorance inherent in the lyrics of the song which I think is really dubious.

I'm not criticizing the song, I keep telling you I like it.

I'm pointing out how criticizing it does not equate to supporting terrorism.

For you to not get that is bad enough, for our Tanaiste it's a disgrace.

Given we now know the song has been criticized by several journalists, one professor and at least two northern musicians, none of whom have any link to supporting violence....

It might be time to drop the claim that questioning it makes you a supporter of child murder.

It might be time to call this fella, and his just about contained crocodile tears, back, ya can't be going around accusing innocent people like that!