The Irish rebel songs
Nationalism in music
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl.2592Keywords:
law and music, Ireland, nationalism, resistance, identity, rebel songs, nation buildingAbstract
Numerous revolutions and resistance movements have been accompanied by musical compositions that have become veritable manifestos of these events. The link between music and revolutionary or resistance struggles is well established, and this is also true in the case of Ireland. Faced with long colonial domination, which saw the British Empire rule the “Emerald Isle” for centuries, there was a prolific musical output, created with the specific aim of promoting the causes of Irish independence and nationalism. This contribution aims to retrace some of the main protest songs, the so-called Irish rebel songs, in order to understand how music has been a fundamental vehicle for Irish nationalism, which has played such a fundamental role in the historical and legal events of Ireland.
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