Brush up on the Irish National Anthem for the London 2012 Olympics - VIDEO

oldboreen: A Phonetics version is the answer,I agree, and have produced a three-way Standard English Phonetics(Received Pronuncuation) version in English and Irish but a problem arises with irregular local pronunciations of the English language vowels throughout the world.

What goof "corrected" the English version posted above? The line: "Tonight we man the gap of danger" is wrong and inane. The correct line is: "Tonight we man the bearna baol". The dumb "correction" of the version listed above not only loses a rhyme, albeit a phonetically imperfect one (with "weal" and "peal") but it also ruins the rhythm, because the line it generates is too long. OK, I'll say no more, this is probably too technical for most Irish Central readers...

BTW i didn't write the comment below attributed to me (Aug 03, 02:20)about Ireland not taking gold medals. I hope to see both Paddy Barnes & Katie Taylor take golds in the boxing!

It's NOT "A Soldier's Song". It's "Amhrán na bhFiann". That's what we call it. That's how we sing it. That's how we like it. It's called PATRIOTISM. Got it now? Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

It was originally written in English, which is of course the first language of the great majority of Irish people.

great song and great music but i wouldnt rush to learn it, ireland won't be taking any Gold Medals in the Olympics.

The New ROYAL ? / No, she is no rose, / Nor a flower made of brass, / She's no classless lass, / No albino gorilla, / Butt a ROYAL Camilla ?

Sir Michael Phelps ? / He may not curtsey, / But he may most certainly, / Kneel on bended knee, / To Her Royal Majesty, / And rise to be Sir Michael.

The new ROYAL ? No, she is no rose, / Nor a flower made of brass, / She's no classless lass, / No albino gorilla, / Butt a ROYAL Camilla ?

Rarely if ever either read or listen to Abhrán na bhFíann without experiencing goose bumps all over. Standing to attention with comrades-in-arms as a member of the Defence Forces/Irish Army as a young man of 26 (32 years ago) to its lusty rendition by army bands was an unrepeatably thrilling experience. And being on active service with them inside Ulster - on the 'bearna baol' between north-eastern and south-western Ulster, (along the Cavan/Fermanagh country boundary) a sadening experience. To quote Churchill: "Now [this decade of centenaries] is the time. Now or never. A nation once again!" Back in the Commonwealth if needs be!

i have never understood why the Irish go thru the embarrassing farce of trying to sing their anthem in Irish. 90% of them don't know the lyrics, and 90% of those who know the lyrics don't know what they mean. It's a standard piece of Irish humbug, very typical of all the slimy hypocrisy that has attended the Irish language for a century now. Why don't they sing The Soldiers' Song, the English and original version, which was the song sung by the men and women who fought with Pearse and Connolly in 1916.

Maybe it's me. I think its a great read.

Haven't we been here before? What we want is 'The Soldier's Song in Irish, with phonetics!!! Is that asking so much IC??? Seems it is!

What kind of Anglo American crap is this??Most Irish people may not be fluent in Irish.But most Irish people don't have to BRUSH UP on our National Anthem.We sing it Os Gaeilge.Everybody does.What use is the English translation?You sicken me.How would Americans like to be told to BRUSH UP on their National Anthem in Japanese.BRYAN FITZGERALD I'm not as polite as more people here.But you are a fu*kwit.Now fu*k off and find the Irish version ya langer.You insult me.

The above song is NOT Amhrán na bhFiann, merely an English version of it. 'Independent' Ireland is one of the very states in the world, where the majority of its politicians strongly reject its official language. It would be interesting to know how many of these Partitionist politicians know the words of Amhrán na bhFiann.