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Rangers fans 'Famine song' defended

By Lesley-Anne Henry
Monday, 22 September 2008

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Anti-censorship campaigners last night stepped into the row over sectarian songs at football games.

A political storm erupted after Rangers Football Club fans chanted the ‘Famine Song’ during an Old Firm game last month.

The controversial song refers to the Great Potato Famine that killed over a million people in the 1840s and includes the lyrics “From Ireland they came. Brought us nothing but trouble and shame. Well the famine is over. Why don't they go home?”.

It sparked widespread outrage off the pitch and led to Irish diplomats making representations to the Scottish Government demanding they tackle the issue urgently.

Now however in the latest twist of the ongoing song saga, the Index on Censorship, one of the world’s leading repositories on free expression issues, has branded attempts to silence fans as a “dangerous” assault of free speech.

Irish-born Index spokesperson Padraig Reidy, said the matter should be handled by football clubs, not the Scottish state.

He said it was the Rangers fans’ right to insult the Irish over the Great Famine if they so wished: “Considering we all know that there have been nasty, offensive songs at Old Firm games for years, making it into a national issue seems absurd and dangerous. It’s trying to set a legal limit on speech that isn’t incitement to violence. Rangers and Celtic agreed themselves to sing what they want.

“It’s different to anti-discrimination laws, which are a very good thing, but seeking to outlaw any kind of insulting or offensive speech/songs does become very problematic, because someone will always take offence,” he said.

Mr Reidy said that while the song was undoubtedly offensive, behaviour at football matches should not be a state concern.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland Sports Minister Gregory Campbell has written urging Celtic Football Club to do more on pro-IRA chants. with particular reference to Celtic’s visit to Fir Park at Motherwell and a recent pre-season friendly match at Southampton.

The East Londonderry MP, who turned down an invitation to Celtic Park, wrote to club chairman and ex Northern Ireland Secretary of State, John Reid, asking him to deal with the problem.

“It’s great to see the positive step that Rangers have taken to try and stamp out offensive songs and my letter to John Reid was an attempt to find out what Celtic has been doing to try and put an end to songs that support terrorist campaigns,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.

The Scottish Executive is working with Rangers and Celtic Football Clubs to lower sectarian tensions.

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45 Comments

Maybe no-one's thought of this, but the famine affected Irish Protestants as well as Irish Catholics, my family included. This isn't a racist song, it's sectarian, as it's specifically intended to be directed towards Roman Catholics of Irish descent.

Oh and bye the way, a Google search took me on to a Celtic related website, where one of the links was to 'Irish Rebel'. Now if that ain't racist..............................????

Posted by Stephen McQuillan | 21.06.09, 23:41 GMT

terrific song
Nothing Wrong With It

Posted by Jordan | 06.03.09, 11:42 GMT

I think the songs chanted at the Old Firm matches are nothing more than banter..Whats next ....Banning the sales of Mr Potato Head from the toy stores for fear of offending folk.

Posted by No1 Currantbun | 17.02.09, 20:24 GMT

I read your report that says 'the Scottish Executive is working with Rangers and Celtic football clubs to lower sectarian tensions' ... it reminded me of my first day at school ( over 50 years ago ) when the teacher told us that children were starving in Africa and there was fighting in the Middle East ... so don't hold your breath - for some it is a way of life and will never change.
Incidentally, this song and others of a similar offensive nature could never have been sung in the days before crowd segregation, the tactic adopted to prevent trouble at matches.

Posted by John Anderson | 24.11.08, 18:58 GMT

racism is not banter , child abuse is not banter , you can never defend the indefensible , irish people died en masse in the famine both catholic and protestant and if people actually took the time to read the lyrics to this song they would see its offensive nature , it is directed at both catholics and irish alike something which the people sing this song seem to find indestinguishable . "Now they raped and fondled their kids
That's what those perverts from the darkside did
& they swept it under the carpet " lyrics from the song how can you defend that . priests dont become peadophiles , peadophiles become priests just like they become scout leaders just like they become swimming instructors or presbyterian ministers for that matter .

Posted by jim carlin | 30.10.08, 18:45 GMT

To be honest, I am a Rangers fan and this sort of nonsense disgusts me. If it was a song insulting Celtic the Football Club I'm all for it, there's nothing wrong with that. This song however isn't attacking Celtic, it's attacking fellow Scots who have the obviously evil genetics that have been passed down to them by their Irish descendants. This minority (and I stress it is a minority), bring shame to my football club - if they truly supported Glasgow Rangers they'd sing songs celebrating us instead of songs insulting others for stupid reasons varying branches of the same religion or different ancestry.

There's a certain minority of stupid Rangers fans and a stupid minority of Celtic fans. I can understand when non Old-firm fans say we're as bad as each other, but most Rangers fans and most Celtic fans, in my experience, tend to be lovely people.

Posted by Tom | 21.10.08, 01:04 GMT

I'm sick of hearing all about the celtic supporters being offended.I am a protestant and my Great Granparents came to Scotland in 1865 so I must assume they survived the famine or I would not be here. My daughter lives and works in a muslim country and she respects the religon of that country. I don't think they would accept a catholic to be the defender of their faith so why should we. I agree with the song, if they hate our Island that much why don't they go and live in the Republic. My Great Grandparents came from Monaghan and we know the Propaganda that the Irish Government gives out regarding PROTESTANTS that had to leave their homes (if you don't know check it out on the web).I am proud of my ancestery but proud to be BRITISH.These people who complain should remember the catholic soldiers who fought the Germans to protect everyone's way of life and were treated like traiters when they returned home. I salute those men for their COURAGE.

Posted by PROUD PROD | 10.10.08, 23:20 GMT

It has nothing to do with football..read it:

l often wonder where they would have been
If we hadn't have taken them in
Fed them & washed them
Thousands in Glasgow alone
From Ireland they came
Brought us nothing but trouble and shame
Well the famine is over
Why don't they go home
Now Athenry Mike was a thief
& Large John he was fully briefed
& that wee traitor from Castlemilk
Turned his back on his own
They've all their Papists in Rome
They have U2 and Bono
Well the famine is over
Why don't they go home
Now they raped and fondled their kids
That's what those perverts from the darkside did
& they swept it under the carpet
& Large John he hid
Their evils seeds have been sown
Cause they're not of our own
Well the famine is over
Why don't u go home
Now Timmy don't take it from me
Cause if u know your history
You've persecuted thousands of people
In Ireland alone
U turned on the lights
Fuelled U boats by night
thats how u repay us
its time to go home

Posted by AZtech | 06.10.08, 22:00 GMT

yea mickey talking about the famine is light banter catch a grip!! millions died and you think its banter! everyones on celtics back when this is clearly all about rangers complain about celtic all yous want but i cant remember the last time rangers fans were praised for good behaviour away or even at home! the celtic fans shouldn't be talking about the ira either!! but no offence should be taken on both sides its football after all and brings the worst out of everyone when there losing

Posted by jim m | 03.10.08, 18:19 GMT

Who won the match?

Posted by plasticpaddy | 30.09.08, 03:54 GMT

Most comments on here are probably being made by people who don't go to watch either club. The people who protest against this song cannot have their cake and eat it. You cannot call it sectarian and then point out that Protestants died as well.

Secondly this is NOT a song telling all Irish people to 'go home'. I doubt if that was the case so many people from NI (who probably had ancestors who were affected) or those who defended the DUBLIN loyal supporters group would sing it. When Celtic play openly Republican songs over the tannoy at their ground proclaiming anti-British sentiments, fly an Irish Tricolour over their stadium, and have amongst their fanbase 'Irish people’ whose ancestors have been in Scotland for 150 years it is natural to ask the question- Why are you here? What is the point in being in a country which you seem to despise? It is this 'plastic paddy' mentality we are challenging.

I'm not mocking the famine, they are exploiting it.

Posted by Colin | 29.09.08, 11:55 GMT

What would happen if Arsenal fans started singing "The holocost is over, why dont you go home " the next time they are at Whie hart Lane.I guarantee such racist bile would be subject to world wide condemnation.

Posted by Pete | 26.09.08, 19:55 GMT

Roy makes a very valid point. Sectarianism at the very top of the chain in Britain.

Posted by Liam | 24.09.08, 10:57 GMT

I wish Gregory Campbell would keep his letters and comments to him self, he caused ill will over comments with regard to Tyrone and the GAA, now he wants to cause problems between Rangers and Celtic in Scotland they dont need any help thank you.

Posted by Margaret | 23.09.08, 23:58 GMT

Ronald'

Sigh...

"I daresay they'd be a trifle miffed if it were suggested that they brought much misery and shame to the north east of Ireland and would be better off going to the country they profess to love so dearly."

just as miffed as you would be if I suggested that Northern nationalists would be better off going to the country they profess to love so much, because of all the misery and shame they have brought to Northern Ireland.

Posted by Steve | 23.09.08, 17:10 GMT

Well Mickey, if songs about the Famine (reminder: the terrible death of 1-million people, Catholics and Protestants) are to you "light-hearted banter" then I suggest you need your head examined. I suppose you look think of a Holocaust song (reminder again for people like you: 6 million dead) as more "light hearted entertainment"?

Posted by Compos Mentis | 23.09.08, 15:42 GMT

Rangers fans in NI identify themselves as British. Great Britain is an island to the east of Ireland. Furthermore, tho' they seem to identify with Scotland, from where most of their forebears came, they love to bend the knee to the English queen, and roar her praises by borrowing the English anthem.I daresay they'd be a trifle miffed if it were suggested that they brought much misery and shame to the north east of Ireland and would be better off going to the country they profess to love so dearly.

Sauce for the goose...............

Posted by Ronald | 23.09.08, 14:42 GMT

Songs about "going home, cos the famine's over" are, to me, a bit of light-hearted banter. Songs which glorify the alledgedly defunct terror group, the IRA, are horrifying. Why don't you just glorify the collapse of the Twin Towers too.

Posted by mickey | 23.09.08, 09:51 GMT

Who can complain about sectarian songs when they live in a country where the Head of State is, and must be by law, a member of the protestant faith and where the laws of succession to the throne refer to Catholicism, a Christian faith, as "this damnable doctrine" and where it is stated in statute law that "it is inconsistent with the safety and welfare of this protestant kingdom to be governed by a papist." (Bill of Rights 1688). Admit it! The United Kingdom's monarchy is soaked in religious bigotry going back three hundred years and more. This is the only instance in the civilised, western world where religious prejudice is actually enforceable by statue law. As long as the United Kingdom has such an anachronism at the apex of society there will be sectarian songs leading to sectarian hatred and, as happened in Northern Ireland, murder most foul.

Posted by Roy | 23.09.08, 09:15 GMT

Tony, the Rangers fans are already in Britain! Most are either from Scotland or Northern Ireland; according to their passports, they are British, so we'll stay where we are thanks! I agree that this song is despicable, but really, Celtic fans are in no position to take a holier than thou atttitude to offensive songs. There are no living Famine survivors to be offended by this song; there are plenty of survivors of IRA attacks however to be offended by the sectarian bile spouted by a minority of Celtic fans every week, so I would say; get your own house in order before criticising others!

Posted by Steve | 23.09.08, 08:22 GMT