Bonus club rebel songs

There being little else to do on St Patrick's Day, I went to the supermarket. The local Superquinn was closed for the holiday. But after a somewhat aimless drive across the quiet city, I found myself in the heart of Dublin 4, where a Tesco store was open.

Inside, I strolled around the well appointed aisles, trying to blend in. And yet something didn't feel quite right. I couldn't decide whether it was the spacing of the shelves, or the decor, or the airconditioning; until suddenly it hit me - it was the background music. Oh my God, I thought: they're playing rebel songs!

"Some say the divil is dead, and buried in Killarney," sang a balladeer from a speaker in the seafood section, as I wrestled with the issue of whether I'd buy sushi as a souvenir of my visit to the area. "More say he rose again, and joined the British army," quipped the singer, as I decided against.

It was the unmistakable sound of the Wolfe Tones, a band I hadn't heard broadcast in public since the last elections in West Belfast. And so they belted out, in my disbelieving ears, such insurrectionist standards as God Save Ireland, On the One Road and A Nation Once Again.

Dublin 4 shoppers were being whipped into a frenzy of rebellion by the Tesco PA system, and it was the mercy of God that someone had removed the British Queens from the loose potatoes section. Or maybe it was store policy not to stock them. Superquinn shops fly the Tricolour to emphasise their identity, but Tesco was wrapping the flag around itself on St Patrick's Day!

By the time I reached the check-out, my fetters were rent in twain and I was ready to strike a blow for Irish freedom. The plan was to push my heavily-laden trolley into the line marked "10 items or less", singing: "We're in the one queue/it may be the wrong queue/but we're together now/who cares?" Fearing the check-out assistant would demand my phased withdrawal, however, I lost my nerve at the last moment.

On a serious note, the incident emphasised to me how unused we've become to hearing songs of the rebel genre played publicly. Many of them were part of our childhood (assuming we're over 30), although there was usually a line drawn between "old" and "new" rebel activity.

The old songs were politically, if not always musically, acceptable, celebrating as they did the foundation of the State. Some of the new ones, however, were not, celebrating such things as a 1970s jail escape by helicopter. But they all seemed to disappear from the airwaves during the Troubles. There was never a ban as such: it was more of a Government-encouraged voluntary effort - as with the current foot-and-mouth campaign - to minimise the risk of infection.

That's the end of the serious note. Anyway, there they were again in Tesco on St Patrick's Day. A day when, thanks to the F-and-M campaign, everything was cancelled and, to coin a phrase, only our rivers ran free. Which is another of the songs with which Dublin 4 shoppers were being entertained.

It could be that Tesco was simply reflecting a relaxation of attitudes as the peace process takes root. If so, the reappearance of the rebel repertoire in mainstream society may highlight the challenge facing contemporary Irish balladeers in general.

For centuries, the traditional ballad has been about emigration, poverty and the struggle for freedom. What will we sing of now, in an era of peace and economic success? When the freedom of our rivers is guaranteed by a cross-Border body on waterways, and when poor Paddy is more likely to own the privatised railway than work on it.

It's too early to say how this challenge will be met, but I'm sure the Wolfe Tones, at least, can rise to it. They've already shown an ability to diversify from their main product line, with such unforgettable international hits as Las Islas Malvinas and, of course, the classic Rock On, Rockall, which has been so instrumental in fostering a spirit of independence on that North Atlantic outcrop.

Nevertheless, a band's readiness to embrace change can go too far, in my opinion. During my research for this column, I accessed the Wolfe Tones' official website, and I was disturbed to find that the group's forthcoming "UK tour" includes dates in Belfast and Monaghan.

The acceptance of Belfast's position within the UK will upset many fans, but at least it is in the spirit of the revised Articles Two and Three. As a Monaghan person, however, it's the second UK concert I'm worried about. I hope I'm not being picky when I say that, much as the Wolfe Tones might dislike the Border, Monaghan is definitely south of it. Or it was the last time I was home.

The date of the gig is May 9th, although the website adds the words "to be confirmed". Whether it's the venue that awaits confirmation, or Monaghan's constitutional position, I can't be sure.

fmcnally@irish-times.ie