The European Football Union UEFA has fined Ireland’s football association €20,000 for “violating the basic rules of decent behaviour”. The association announced this.
The reason for this is that Irish players sang the controversial song “Celtic Symphony” after their successful World Cup qualification. In the song by the Irish band The Wolfe Tones, critics criticize a positive attitude towards the militant IRA (Irish Republican Army).
The Irish footballers qualified for a World Cup for the first time on October 11 with a 1-0 win against Scotland. After that, a video of the celebrations in the dressing room circulated on the Internet. In it, members of the team repeatedly sing “Ooh Ah Up The Ra”.
The line of text refers to the IRA, but refers to a graffiti. According to songwriter Brian Warfield, who wrote the song for Scottish football club Celtic Glasgow’s 100th anniversary in 1987, it is not a political statement but an observation of the times.
The day after the video surfaced and sparked debate, the Football Association of Ireland had already issued an apology. “We sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt by the content of our post-game celebrations,” said national team coach Vera Pauw. Sorry for everyone involved.