The national anthem - can you do better?

On Tuesday The Irish Timesunveiled a new national anthem composed by Neil Hannon and Thomas Walsh, and it quickly became a radio hit. A selection of reader reactions to the song is published below, plus details of a competition to write your own anthem.

SINCE TUESDAY on Jim Carroll’s

On The Record

blog, readers have been responding to the new national anthem composed by Neil Hannon and Thomas Walsh, aka

The Duckworth Lewis Method

at the invitiation of

The Irish Times

.

Here’s a selection of the comments.

I’d like to see John Hayes cry to that. . .

Comment by BILL

Looking at those lyrics I think I’ll leave the link to the music well enough alone. It looks like the class of song “also-rans” used to throw together just to fill the Comórtas Amhráin requirement at the Gaeltacht. That said though, maybe I’ll write a tune meself. A lament to the loss of our ability to be genuinely witty, sharp, insightful and yet cynically upbeat . . . at least through the medium of high-profile talent. I hear it on the streets everyday, and sometimes all in the one sentence. So why not demand it from “national bards” the likes of Hannon, Tiernan, O’Brian ?

CONOR McMAHON

As with all Irish trendy humour – ie the stuff which the media allows to be heard by the public – it avoids any satire at politics or corruption. The Duckworth Lewis Method clearly is a safe one when it comes to comedy. Neil Hannon is a fine artist but this puerile drivel is not his finest moment, and I am surprised The Irish Times is bothering to give something a 15-year-old schoolboy could write such a platform. Or that I am bothering to write about it! If it’s intended to be fun it should be funny – which it’s not really.

ROGER RAFFERTY

A work of genius. Should be sung at the inauguration of David Norris

TVG

All blokes, no girls. . .

“Joyce and Heaney, Beckett and Wilde. Bill O’Herlihy, Dunphy and Giles Evans, Hewson, Mullen and Clayton, Westlife and Jedward, the pride of our nation!” Maybe you should call it Amhrán na Man?

SARAH

Loved it. I think the last verse says it all! Though reading the comments I think some people take things a little too seriously. Cheer up!

RONAN

Ireland’s Call proclaims us “together, standing tall”. This ignores and denigrates the contribution made to national life by short people.

FERGAL

Just reading the lyrics, it didn’t seem that funny, but the delivery adds a lot to it (and the whole thing sounds pretty good). More Monty Python than Father Ted, to my ears. As usual, some people will begrudge anything, even former Choice Music Prize winners/nominees!

T’would be gas if the Irish-American community got onto this, though I reckon some of the references are too topical for them.

GABBAGABBAHEY

It's no worse than Ireland's Call. However, the bleeping of the word Ulster means that we would still be forced to sing an alternative song at rugby matches. So we'd have this, and Ireland's Call. Sigh. I fear Ireland might never win another match.

SINEAD

Wow, some took this seriously? Lol. For those confused by the bleep, it rhymes with sheep . . . not that complicated really, and it is meant to fit the rhythm of the line. I think the whole thing’s brilliant: clever, sarcastic, flip, and all in fun. As a Yank, I love it. It’s a great antidote to the over-green, schlocky stuff that passes for “Irish” here in the US at this time of year.

DIVA

*Shrugs.* The song is decent but ultimately cheapened by yet another reference to Jedward.

NERRAW

Brought a smile but not a patch on Amhrán na bhFiannthough certainly a mile better than the awful Ireland's Call. What feels like an hours interlude in the middle of Ireland's Call where most people stare up at the sky, down at their feet or start picking their nails!!

FEARGHAL

Gentlemen, and Ladies Too, I think it's an absolute disgrace that you would even entertain the thought of replacing My Lovely Horseas the national anthem of your fine country!! But I could reconsider through the provision of a small remuneration.

I THINK THEREFORE I AM (NOT AN ATTORNEY)

COMPETITION

Write Your Own Anthem

Reckon you can come up with a rousing rhyme to reflect a changed nation? Then create and record your own version and send it to The Irish Times. Your anthem can be in any style – from techno to traditional, pop to punk – and can be a solo effort or a choral affair as long as it is no longer than 90 seconds. The entries will be assessed by a judging panel that will include the Duckworth Lewis Method.

A selection of anthems will be made available at irishtimes.com.

The anthem judged the best will win two tickets to Electric Picnic 2010 plus €500 spending money, a €500 voucher for Beechpark recording studios, and airplay on The Ray D'Arcy Showon Today FM. The winning entry will also be streamed on Irishtimes.com. Two runners up will each win a pair of tickets to the Electric Picnic.

Entries should be sent as an MP3 file to anthem@irishtimes.com by midnight on Monday, April 5th, with lyrics attached to the mail (mails should not exceed 10MB). Your anthem doesn’t have to be recorded in a studio as long as the clip is of audible quality.

Employees or agents of the Irish Times, their families or other persons connected with this promotion may not enter. For a full set of terms and conditions, please email marketing@irishtimes.com.

For more see irishtimes.com