Famine Song

The Famine Song is a song sung by some Ulster loyalists in Northern Ireland and Scotland and is normally directed at Catholics and, in Scotland, Irish people, those of Irish descent or those with perceived affiliations to Ireland. It is also sung by fans of Scottish football club Rangers due to rival Celtic's Irish roots. Set to the tune of The John B. Sails popularised by Carl Sandburg, the lyrics of the song make reference to the 1840s Great Famine of Ireland. The song is often heard at loyalist marches in Northern Ireland despite many loyalists being descended from refugees fleeing famine in Scotland, and the Great Famine being an event that impacted the whole of Ireland. The Famine Song has received criticism due to the racist and sectarian nature of its lyrics and, in some cases, those singing it have received criminal convictions.

Controversy

The Irish famine of the 1840s led the country's population to fall from approximately 8 million to 5 million as a result of starvation and emigration. Although the bulk of emigrants moved to North America, large numbers moved to Scotland and England, settling in London, Liverpool and Glasgow. Since then, sectarianism in Glasgow in particular has been a problem, with its two main football teams being focal points of identity: Celtic drawing large support from the descendants of Irish Catholics and Rangers from Protestants in Scotland and Northern Ireland.