The emotional lesson of Irish pride: The Fields of Athenry

All my life I remember last night's game between Spain and Ireland. But not by goals from Torres, nor vindictive rage of Cesc. Even after attending a recital by the brilliant new pairing of Iniesta and Silva. Last night the always remember the touching lesson of pride that gave us Irish fans.

The thrashing that he was endorsing the Red became the first Irish team eliminated from the Euro in Poland and Ukraine. Where some headhunting begin Turk, where others would give back to your selection, where even some will always cause chaotic and violent riots, the Irish proved an immeasurable pride.

A pride that goes far beyond football, which arises from the collective consciousness of a people who have spent one and a thousand sufferings, which deprived him of his liberty, which denied his identity, even tried to starve. But he could steal a shred of pride. And about the two concepts, hunger and pride, turning the song that sang the Irish over the last ten minutes of the game (and beyond).

The Fields of Athenry is a song made ​​popular by Irish Pete St. John in the 70's. It tells the story of Michael, a young man of Athenry (County Galway) is sentenced to be deported to Botan Bay (Australia) for stealing corn to feed the Trevelyan family. The so Trevelyan was a chieftain of the worst, responsible for managing the British aid to Ireland during the Great Famine, far from assisting the people of Ireland, used his position to speculate on food. Michael, forced to leave Athenry, tells Mary, his wife: "Against Hunger and the crown / I rebelled, they denigrated me, / Now you must raise our children with dignity."

What specifically sang last night at the Gdansk Arena the Irish was the refrain of the song where Michael recalls how his land was in the past, a free land and dreams for the future is now so desolate and forlorn:

Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where Once We Watched the small free birds fly.
Our Love Was on the wing,
We had dreams and songs to sing
it's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry

As Galician am I always felt somehow close to the Irish people. We have a common culture beyond Celtic myths: we share that honor might be called Atlantic, which is neither better nor worse than any other, but different. Selection And I've always liked Irish, despite maintaining a style of play archaic, almost obsolete. But last night I am and always will be one more of the Boys in Green.

I leave you with The Dubliners, one of the most mythical Irish folk has always shown great political awareness in their jobs and gigs, playing live The Fields of Athenry (you can see the lyrics and translation I leave the link at the end):

More Info | 'The Fields of Athenry' in Innisfree