Ireland's Call, the Irish Rugby Anthem

Background to Ireland’s Call, the anthem Phil Coulter wrote in 1995 for the all-Ireland rugby team, which draws players from both sides of the border.

Why a second anthem?

Rugby in Ireland is organised on an all-island basis by the Irish Rugby Football Union, and the national team draws its players from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Because the team represents both jurisdictions, the IRFU sought a song that players and supporters from all parts of the island could share, alongside the Republic’s national anthem, Amhrán na bhFiann. It commissioned the Derry-born songwriter Phil Coulter, and Ireland’s Call was first used at the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa.

How it is used

At home internationals in Dublin, both Amhrán na bhFiann and Ireland’s Call are played before kick-off; at away matches, Ireland’s Call is played on its own. The song has since been taken up by other sports organised on an all-Ireland basis, including hockey and cricket. Its theme of the four provinces of Ireland standing together made it a familiar part of match days within a few years of its introduction.

Ireland’s Call is still in copyright, so its words are not reproduced here. The original version of this page carried a recording of the song, which has not survived. The page’s heading paired it with Go n-éirí an bóthar leat, a traditional Irish blessing usually rendered in English as “may the road rise with you”, a wish for a safe and successful journey.

For the history of Ireland’s other anthem, see the page on Amhrán na bhFiann. More articles on Irish history and culture are listed in the general contents.

Chapters of Dublin History Go N-eiri An bothar leat

Ireland’s Call