Paddy McMenamin is a Celtic fan from Belfast. A former IRA prisoner, who served six years in Long Kesh, he is no stranger to Irish Rebel music or the songs that have been sung on terraces of Celtic Park throughout the years.
A fiercely anti-sectarian man, Paddy is an academic, writer and teacher, who embraces the peace process and enjoys a quieter life in Donegal these days. He told his incredible story to The Celtic Soul Podcast, which was spread across two episodes. On the subject of returning to Paradise after so long in jail, Paddy was asked about his position on Rebel songs and Republican ballads being sung by the Celtic faithful.
“First of all I hate sectarianism. I got it out of my system, it might have been in my DNA as it is in everybody who grows up in Belfast, that’s just the way it is. When I was in Long Kesh I got it out of my system. When I came out of the Kesh, I used to tell younger Republicans it’s not right, we don’t do this, we don’t kill or attack people for their religion. I got it out of my system, I absolutely abhor it.
“One of the things I found apparent at Parkhead was hearing people sing Roamin’ in the Gloamin’, it’s absolute nonsense and garbage; I wrote to the Celtic View one time about it. It’s disgusting, it’s sectarian bigotry at it’s worst. We don’t have anywhere near a majority like the Bears do, but we do have people who have sectarianism within their make up. It’s unfortunate that Glasgow’s like Belfast and it’s there in their DNA, but generally with Celtic supporters it’s just not our stuff and in recent years we’ve nearly stopped all that.”
Whilst, Paddy denounced the sectarian songs, largely confined to the past, he is quick to differentiate those from historical songs of Ireland.
“To me, singing Rebel songs is a different thing and the English don’t even get it, I mean they’re Irish Folk songs. We’re singing about Easter week, we’re singing 1798, these are all historical songs about our history against colonialism. You know, we’re not singing about killing people, we’re singing about resistance to British rule and that to me is what these songs are all about.
“The Celtic family obviously is a mixture, you have the Irish diaspora, you have the Scots-Irish, you have people who are strictly Scottish I suppose; some people don’t like that sort of stuff. I’m sure as you go higher up the levels in society, the well heeled people on the board and the suits maybe find this stuff a bit difficult. To me, hearing the Fields of Athenry or Grace is wonderful and I absolutely love to hear it at Parkhead.”
Despite Paddy’s enthusiasm for historical songs of Ireland, he has noticed a decline in them at home games over the years.
“The Green Brigade are young lads and they’re great, they bring a vibrancy to Celtic Park that was missing for a long time. They’ll start the Fields or whatever and I’ll get a sense around the stadium that people don’t feel inclined to join in, I find that sometimes. Celtic themselves have put the hammer on it and I read a piece for the Celtic Minded books by Patricia Ferns, where she said she didn’t mind people criticising her or disagreeing, but when Celtic gave her a list of songs she wasn’t allowed to sing if she were ever to be allowed in Parkhead again, and on that list was Boys of the Old Brigade, Rifles of the IRA, she was disgusted and had to tone it down a bit.”
Touching on the place of these songs at Celtic Park, Paddy explained: “We all know Celtic’s not just a football club. I couldn’t imagine 60,000 people going to watch football in the Scottish League. I mean Hamilton and Ross County, I find it hard to watch, there must be a reason why 60,000 people go and it’s the bigger picture, it’s the Irish diaspora, it’s the whole Irish connection, it’s Michael Davitt bringing the sod over, it’s Walfrid and the famine, and that’s what makes Celtic different – singing the songs is all part of the culture.”
