bloodandfire
Well-Known Member
THE leader of Sinn Fein has defended her party's decision to play the Wolfe Tones' Republican hit the 'Celtic Symphony'.
Mary Lou McDonald was quizzed on the controversial anthem popular among Hoops fans which contains the lyrics "Ooh Ah Up The Ra".
And she defended it being played among her party as she said she "can't change the anthem of Celtic Football Club".
Sinn Fein recently enjoyed their most successful Irish general election result as they won 37 seats - a 24.5 per cent increase from 2016.
During an interview with BBC Northern Ireland's The View, host Mark Carruthers asked: "It seems to many people that the Sinn Fein playlist during this election campaign has been all about 'Come Out Ye Black and Tans' and the 'Celtic Symphony'.
Host Carruthers then said: "Yes but the Celtic Symphony is 'Oh Ah Up The Ra'?"
To which McDonald replied: "Well look that's the Celtic song and, Jesus, you're not going to ask me to change the anthem of the Celtic Football Club for goodness sake.
"I think there is a space into which, on the one hand, we need to be alive to each other's sensitivities and respectful to each other.
"But there's another piece as well where we have to accept that there are certain cultural and political markers. The different traditions are going to say.
"And if we're going to take them literally or take offence we're going to spend our whole time being offended and I don't think there's any positive return in that for any of us."
The video for the Wolfe Tones' 1987 hit was partly shot at Celtic Park.
Mary Lou McDonald was quizzed on the controversial anthem popular among Hoops fans which contains the lyrics "Ooh Ah Up The Ra".
And she defended it being played among her party as she said she "can't change the anthem of Celtic Football Club".
Sinn Fein recently enjoyed their most successful Irish general election result as they won 37 seats - a 24.5 per cent increase from 2016.
During an interview with BBC Northern Ireland's The View, host Mark Carruthers asked: "It seems to many people that the Sinn Fein playlist during this election campaign has been all about 'Come Out Ye Black and Tans' and the 'Celtic Symphony'.
Host Carruthers then said: "Yes but the Celtic Symphony is 'Oh Ah Up The Ra'?"
To which McDonald replied: "Well look that's the Celtic song and, Jesus, you're not going to ask me to change the anthem of the Celtic Football Club for goodness sake.
"I think there is a space into which, on the one hand, we need to be alive to each other's sensitivities and respectful to each other.
"But there's another piece as well where we have to accept that there are certain cultural and political markers. The different traditions are going to say.
"And if we're going to take them literally or take offence we're going to spend our whole time being offended and I don't think there's any positive return in that for any of us."
The video for the Wolfe Tones' 1987 hit was partly shot at Celtic Park.