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Details
Author: Raymond Daly and Derek Warfield
Published: 2008
Synopsis
From the very earliest days of Celtic the highs and lows of the Bhoys have been recorded in song. Indeed there can be few – if any – other clubs whose supporters can boast the vast repertoire of songs that have been performed through the decades by the fans of Celtic.
It seems strange then that it has taken so long for a book to finally tackle such a seemingly obvious subject. Thankfully though ‘Celtic & Ireland in Song and Story’ has been well worth the wait.
Authors Raymond Daly – a member of the Mid Leinster CSC – and Derek Warfield (of The Wolfe Tones) have spent years working on this book and from the opening pages it is clear that this has been a real labour of love.
Meticulously researched, it is as fascinatingly informative as it is wonderfully entertaining. The effort which must have gone into producing such an extensive piece of work is frightening.
As you’d expect ‘Celtic and Ireland in Song…’ features all of the most popular hymns to the Hoops from throughout the decades. It recalls those moments of cheers and tears which have inspired the supporters’ songbook – from the calypso joy of ‘Hampden In The Sun’ to the haunting ballad of ‘John Thomson’.
The authors provide an enjoyable insight not only to the players, managers and great games in Celtic history but also to the singers and song-writers that immortalised them in song.
The book – which features some great pictures and runs to an awesome 472 crammed pages – contains an enjoyable lyrics section, but while that is a nice bonus what really makes this publication something very special is the detail and depth in which almost every subject matter is covered.
Those sections of the book which focus on the folk songs and historical ballads of Ireland provide a genuine education as the authors reveal in fine detail the stories, events and characters that inspired these tunes. In doing so ‘Celtic and Ireland in Song….’ doesn’t however just provide an interesting lesson in Irish history.
It also paints a vivid picture of the social, political and cultural influences on the immigrant Irish community from which the majority of the Bhoys support hailed, hence the one time popularity of these tunes on the Parkhead terraces (and indeed in the boardroom). ‘Celtic and Ireland in Song’ has to be ranked as one of the most important, informative and enjoyable books produced on Celtic and its support.
That is no mean feat when you consider the wealth of quality histories dedicated to the club, but this is unquestionably a must have for anyone interested in Celtic’s history. Let the people read….!
Review
This is a truly excellent publication, very informative, interesting and accurate with a wealth of detail about both Celtic and Ireland in its 472 pages. It claims to cover both and does so admirably well, including the lyrics of Irish rebel and Celtic songs which are, as the back cover says "far reaching, educational, and of course, provide a great source of pleasure".
For people like myself who (for background reasons of being a Scottish Protestant) do not know as much about Irish republicanism as he should, this book is an absolute godsend with much detail and photographs about the incidents much commemorated in song. Sean South, (from Garryowen) for example, is a studious earnest looking man whose funeral cortege passed along O'Connell Street, Dublin a few days after that memorable New Year's Day. It attrected thousands of mourners before it made its way to Limerick. Kevin Barry played rugby and other sports and was indeed offered his life in return for the "names of his brave comrades and the things they wished to know", but Kevin Barry answered no. The founder of the Argentine Navy was a man from Mayo called William Brown, and Tom Barry of Barry's Flying Column had served with the British Army in Mesopotamia in the Great War.(So indeed did my grandfather and the grandfather of Gordon Smith, the SFA Chief Executive – the famous Matta Smith who played for Kilmarnock in the 1920s.)
There is a brief potted history of the club with the songs that the supporters would have sung at the time. "Hello, Hello" is a song much associated with Rangers, but in fact Celtic supporters had it first and immortalised it after their 5-0 win in the 1925 Scottish Cup semi final against Rangers. The late 1960s were the time of "The Merry Ploughboy" and as the book says "Lisbon" for a spell, took the place of "Dublin". There was also as I recall, three add-on words about Her Majesty! And the early 1990s that dreadful time in our history saw the birth of the "Fields of Athenry", a song sung by its writer Peter St.John at half time at a game between Celtic and Falkirk in April 1996.
The book is awash with detail and is clearly written by two enthusiasts. One of the writers Derek Warfield is associated with the Wolfe Tones group, and the other is a man called Raymond Daly who travels on the Mid Leinster Celtic Supporters Club from Tullamore. This book is indispensable to anyone who wishes to know what Celtic is all about. It is well illustrated, although I have doubts about the photograph on page 424 which purports to be Celtic in 1935. The players are none too familiar. It is possibly a reserve team, or it may even be Kilmarnock, Morton, Hamilton Accies or some other hooped team. But that is a small blemish. In other respects, it is a very fine book. No Celtic supporter should be without it.
David Potter (Celtic Historian) More Than 90 Mins (Issue 48) Not The View (Issue 161) Alternative View (Issue 62)
Product Details
| Title | Celtic & Ireland in song and story |
| Compiled by | Raymond Daly, Derek Warfield |
| Publisher | The Authors, 2008 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | 18 Aug 2010 |
| ISBN | 0956104703, 9780956104700 |
| Length | 471 pages |