The Fields of Athenry
The Fields of Athenry [ ðə fiːldz ɔv æθənˈraɪ ] is a song about the Irish famine between 1846 and 1849, which also affected the residents of the city of Athenry .
The song, which was written in the 1970s by the Irishman Pete St. John and recorded by the Irish singer Paddy Reilly among others , tells of a man who steals grain in order to save his family from starvation and goes to Australia for it ( Botany Bay ) is being deported. Melancholy, pride, longing, home - all of this can be found in the moving lines of this song. Cover versions of the song have been recorded by the Dubliners and the Dropkick Murphys, as well as numerous other artists.
Use in sports
It is also associated with several Irish and UK rugby and football teams, with fans singing it during matches. These include the Irish national football and rugby teams , Munster Rugby , London Irish and Celtic Glasgow . A variation, Fields of Anfield Road , is played by fans of the traditional English club Liverpool FC .
The song gained attention when it was sung by Irish fans during the Spain v Ireland match in the 2012 European Football Championship . When the score was 0: 4 in the 87th minute - the elimination of the Irish national team would be certain with a defeat in this game after two out of three games in the preliminary round - the song rang out in the stadium and continued after the final whistle. Meanwhile, the Spanish fans largely refrained from cheering on their team, and several TV presenters, including ARD commentator Tom Bartels , were silent . At the end of June 2012, the Irish fans were honored for their behavior during the European Championship with a special UEFA award.
Use in feature films
- The journalist
- The priest
- The Dead Poets Club . This is a film error because the film is set in 1959, years before the lyrics to the song were written.
- Desolation - 16 Years of Alcohol
- Marriage not excluded
Web links
- Text on the author's page
Individual evidence
- ^ Robin F. Haines: Charles Trevelyan and the Great Irish Famine . Four Courts, 2004, ISBN 1-85182-755-2 , p. 25.
- ^ Pete St John: What are the most frequently asked Questions about your work? . In: Official Website . January 1, 2003. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ↑ Cantaria: Contemporary: Fields of Athenry ( February 1, 2012 memento on WebCite )
- ^ Story of a Song . In: Irish Independent , September 30, 2006. Retrieved September 21, 2008.
- ↑ "The Fields of Athenry": The pride of the inferior. faz.net , June 15, 2012, accessed June 18, 2012 .
- ↑ Spain - Ireland: On the Art of Losing. zeit.de , June 15, 2012, accessed on June 18, 2012 .
- ↑ Irish fans sing The Fields of Athenry. irishcentral.com , June 14, 2012, accessed June 18, 2012 .
- ↑ The Irish sing - commentator Bartels is silent. Das Erste , June 14, 2012, accessed September 5, 2012 .
- ↑ Irish fans receive special price. Sport 1 , June 30, 2012, accessed September 5, 2012 .