Roll Of Honour in to the charts?

statement from the Irish Brigade on ROH and being asked by FAC to use it.

It was an honour and privilege to be asked by Celtic Fans against Criminalisation’ to permit them to promote the song ‘The Roll of Honour’ to aid the funding of their campaign against the law that effects everyone with Irish roots or a love of Irish culture. Ballads have been an integral part of our culture and heritage from time in memorial and the role of the Bards and Street Singers holds a unique and honoured place in our history.

I wrote the song ‘The Roll of Honour’ in 1982 at a time of great social and political upheaval in the North of Ireland. It was to commemorate the sacrifice of ten young men who died in the Hunger Strike of 1981. They, too, were protesting against Criminalisation. The song was a reflection of the thoughts, feelings and beliefs, held by many in Ireland and throughout the world who felt that these deaths could have been avoided if the Brittish Government at that time had not taken such a harsh and unbending attitude towards the prison crisis. The line “England, you’re a Monster” is figurative language and is a reference to this belief. The word ‘Monster’ is defined as someone ‘unnaturally cruel’ – The Government at that time. It is not or was not, at any time, to be construed as referring to the English Nation or the people of England, it is not a Racist remark.

Neither is the song a sectarian song. It is an historic, social commentary about one stage in a long freedom struggle that is still continuing but that now uses democratic paths and institutions that did not exist in the early 80’s. The ten men commemorated in the ‘The Roll of Honour’ hope to bring about a land that would cherish… ‘…all the children of the Nation equally’ (Irish Proclamation, 1916). In the words of Wolfe Tone, a protestant leader of The United Irishmen, they wish to establish a society which would ‘ substitute the name Irish Man in place of Protestant, Catholic or Dissenter’. The dream of Bobby Sands and his comrades was for a Nation where sectarianism and violence would be a thing of the past:

http://fansagainstcriminalisation.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Leaflets were handed out at the weekend there for this.

 

Link anyone ?

 

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/theirishbrigadeinassocia/from/viglink if you don't have an itunes account you can download the song here.

 

That is a superb statement.

Tiocfaidh ár lá.

 

spot on.

 

tbh i thought let the people sing would have been a better choice

 

Agree, the lyrics have more meaning aswell, with regards to the cause.

 

its a just an all round good song too and not controversial at all

 

There aren't any Celtic fans being arrested for singing LTPS. That's the whole point of it being ROH.

 

LTPS isn't banned though.

The reason the song was chosen was because fans are being criminalised for it.

In what * up world can people get the jail for singing a chart song?

 

Even if this doesn't get played, lawyers can use the information in future cases surely?

Song was in the UK top 40 your honour, I think you know what to do.

BOOF! oot the door.

 

Wow! You have somehow spectacularly missed the point.

 

Neither is ROH.

There have been no lists of banned songs issued to anyone by any members of authority etc etc.

 

You know what i mean. Tims are being lifted for it.

 

I know, which makes the fact that people are being lifted for singing a song which is neither banned nor sectarian all the more disgraceful!

 

People are being arrested, and prosecuted for singing Roll Of Honour though.

 

I know mate, which makes it even more outrageous that guys are being huckled and threatened with being charged over singing a song that is not illegal.