The national anthem together with a country's flag and language reflect the identity of the state, and while the rousing roar of 'sinne fianna fail' at sporting fixtures may never be replaced, is it time for a new song to reflect a changed nation?
A new national anthem unveiled by The Irish Times on Tuesday quickly became a radio hit, capturing the modern mood in a way Amhrán na bhFiann doesn't quite manage.
Amhrán na bhFiann is said to be showing its age and Ireland's Call has never really lifted our spirits, so now, The Irish Times has put the call out to musicians across the country to see if they can do better.
The 'alternanthem' Ireland, Ireland! unveiled on Tuesday, was recorded for The Irish Times by musicians Neil Hannon and Thomas Walsh in their incarnation as The Duckworth Lewis Method.
Unquestionably catchier – and certainly shorter – than the official national anthem, it invokes the names of some post-St Patrick patron saints and scholars on a diverse spectrum from Jedward to Joyce.
In under two minutes, the tune succinctly references our soggy climate, agricultural heritage, music, politics, sport, literature and our current economic woes.
Readers are asked to create and record their own version of the national anthem, which 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 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 Show on 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. A selection of anthems will also be made available at irishtimes.com.
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. Anthems do not have to be recorded in a studio as long as the clip is of audible quality.