Eamonn Fitzgerald's Rainy Day

Wanted to post political today. "Why individualism is a dirty word in Germany" was all lined up to run, but then the realization dawned that the weekend of the Rugby World Cup semi-finals at hand. It's all about priorities, right? So, let's leave that political stuff for a dull day. Here goes.

First up is the wonderful rugby site, Scrum of the Earth. Team news, fan views, video and lots of humour can be found here. Unintentionally funny is the blog of the Irish winger Andrew Trimble. How about this: "... if we win then France will be out. We don't want to be thinking of any negative thoughts but if we win its simple and we're in the next round, and it would be a straight shoot out with Argentina for top spot." Er, yes. Far from France, Andrew Trimble is now back studying theology at the Belfast Bible College.

Which brings us, sort of, to our post of 28 September, "Ireland desperately needs a new song". Rainy Day came down hard on Ireland's unofficial cross-border anthem, Ireland's Call, which prompted a mail from Jim Lynch who pointed out we are now in bed with a new kind of Irish fundamentalist who displays his nationalism by demanding that the song be turned down in pubs where the games are shown. Anyone familiar with Rainy Day would know that there's no sympathy here for the Provos. Scum of the earth, that lot. Our objection to the song is that it is simply bad, lyrically and musically. The national anthem of the Irish Republic is equally dire to our ears and the argument here is that the time has come, now that the peoples of the island are seeking peaceful co-existence, to commission a new song, one that expresses the aspirations of the tribes in a manner that can make them proud of their heritages. It has to be beautiful as well, something that neither Amhrán na bhFiann nor Ireland's Call is. I guess it was a political post after all. Tomorrow, for a change, rugby.