At a time when almost every part of the UK is calling for varying degrees of autonomy and independence – and is also trying to achieve this – a protest song has come back to mind.
The Foggy Dew was written in 1919 by Father Charles O’Neill to commemorate the 1916 Easter Rising. In the song, it symbolizes the sudden, silent awakening of Irish nationalism and the spark of rebellion. The song’s main message is a direct criticism of the Irish who fought for the British Empire during the First World War. At that time, hundreds of thousands of Irish people joined the British Army – often encouraged by politicians who hoped this would secure Home Rule for Ireland after the war. The fact that this hope came to an end on the bloody battlefields of Gallipoli is a tragedy for everyone. Sinnead O’Connor recorded an outstanding version of this song years ago together with The Chieftains.
Another artist who always includes songs about an uprising in his set is Christy Moore. As an Irishman, in ‘Back Home In Derry’ he describes the consequences for the rebels of the United Irishmen back in the early 19th century, when they were exiled to Tasmania as punishment for the failed uprising. Bobby Sands took up this theme whilst in prison and compared the conditions on the ships to his own prison conditions.
