Sir, – Further to Fintan O'Toole's denigration of Amhrán na bFhiann as our national anthem (Opinion & Analysis, June 5th), what about replacing it with A Nation Once Again? This would be a timely choice, and in keeping with the nationalist fervour that is currently sweeping Europe. – Yours, etc,
VERA HUGHES,
Moate, Co Westmeath.
A chara, – Instead of a new anthem why not sing another country's anthem instead? Forward Angola and We, the Belarusians wouldn't work for obvious reasons, and while Botswana's Blessed Be This Noble Land and Kenya's O God of All Creation would hardly fit in with our secular future, India's Hail the Ruler of All Minds would have the added benefit of reminding us all of the cleverest journalist in the country! – Is mise,
LOMAN Ó LOINGSIGH,
Dublin 24.
Sir, – I notice that the German anthem is sung in German. Perhaps they will take a leaf out of Fintan’s book and sing it in English in future to show us all how “mature” they are. – Yours, etc,
PATRICIA O’RIORDAN,
Dublin 8.
Sir, – How about Tootie Fruity as our anthem? We'd really only need to learn the "wopbobaloobadewopbanboom" refrain in the same way as we blast out the last line of The Soldier's Song. – Yours, etc,
ROBERT SULLIVAN,
Bantry, Co Cork.
Sir, – How about Amhrán na Queen? – Yours, etc,
PAUL DELANEY,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – The biggest issue with the national anthem is that not enough Irish people know its words. At big sporting events people start singing it with gusto and then mumble, mutter or lip sync the middle section before ending with a big finish. Fintan O’Toole is overthinking the issue of the anthem. Not many people really care too much about the exact meaning of the song. However, like it or not it is part of our national history. The only real problem is that at sporting events the likes of the Welsh, Scots and Italians sign their anthems at a level that we don’t. The solution to this should be to make learning the song mandatory in schools, and any adult found mumbling the middle section should be made write it out 20 times. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN CULLEN,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – Robert Chester (June 8th) longs for an appropriate lyric for the Father Ted theme as an alternative to our present anthem. They in fact already exist: in Neil Hannon's words to Songs of Love from the Divine Comedy's 1996 album Casanova. Indeed they might be considered especially apt for Irish sports fans evoking as they do a deep sense of frustrated yearning. – Yours, etc,
DESMOND DUFFY,
Poole, Dorset,
United Kingdom.