derrymacash--my answer to your question.

While you ask ...why would anyone who's not from Ireland...want to sing these songs in the first place? What's the relevance?, I found myself asking, "Why is that an issue with anyone? Why does there have to be relevance?"

I sing "Come Out Ye Black and Tans" mainly because I like it. It's very appealing musically, with an engaging melody and nice punch in the rhythm. I find the story behind the song intriguing (Stephen Behan coming home drunk and calling out his neighbors), and the message in the song a good illustration of certain people's feelings. I don't feel any compulsion to take that message to heart, nor to have a firm opinion on one side or the other of the issue involved. It's a well-crafted piece that stands on its own merits as a SONG, and it doesn't have to be judged or regarded as nothing more than a political statement.

It occurs to me that in your experience, such songs have strong emotional import, and are perhaps taken rather seriously in context of the situation in Northern Ireland. In my experience (as a "non-Irish person singing this song to a [largely] non-Irish audience") it's more of an academic interest that's being expressed.

Now, I can understand that it would be in exceedingly poor taste and poor judgment for me to sing this song to a Unionist audience. But I bristle at the thought that I've "no call to sing [it]." I'll be the judge of that, thank you.

I actually feel that it does give some insight into history. There's some value in getting an understanding of how some folks view certain events, and even in observing "how imagery, pathos and sentimentality among other things can be used to perpetuate a mindset."

To sum up, though it appears you and I have quite different perspectives on this song, I don't believe that mine is an invalid perspective any more than yours is. I hope this post is helpful in providing you with some insight into that perspective.