The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #21846   Message #235920
Posted By: McGrath of Harlow
30-May-00 - 02:34 PM
Thread Name: Gaughan on the nature of 'Tradition'
Subject: RE: Gaughan on the nature of 'Tradition'
If I choose not to read what someone has posted here, is that an act of censorship?

If I choose to sing one song rather than another song, is that censorship?

There are some indeed some great tunes from the orange tradition. I haven't come across many songs to match, and that's not for lack of looking. The Sash is a jolly enough song, and in itself not sectarian. It goes well to the tune of Kevin Barry, and the other way round.

But I've yet to come across a song from the republican or nationalist tradition with lines like these from Dolly's Brae:

Begone, begone you Papist dogs, we'll conquer or we'll die
And we'll let you see we're not afraid to cross over Dolly's Brae
And when we came to Dolly's Brae they were lined on every side
Praying for the Virgin Mary to be their holy guide;
We loosened our guns upon them and we gave them no time to pray,
And the tune we played was "The Protestant Boys" right over Dolly's Brae.

Thirty "Papist dogs" were killed on that occasion... Clearly Dick Gaughan or anyone else who chooses not to sing a song like that - and in a sense it is a good song - must be some kind of bigot?