Watching the start of the Dublin vs Tyrone game on Saturday, it was commented that it's unlikely you'd be able to join in singing the national anthem if you hadn't grown up in Ireland.
So, for people who just want to sing along in the pub, at the start of sporting events or at the end of weddings and discos (if they still do that?), here is the chorus of Amhrán na bhFiann (Aw-rawn na Veen) in a very simplified phoenetic form.
Sinne Fianna Fáil
Sheen-na fee-na fall
Atá faoi gheall ag Éirinn
A-taw fwee yall egg Ay-rin
Buíon dár slua
Bween dar slewa
Thar toinn do ráinig chughainn
Har tin duh raw-nig coo-in
Faoi mhóid bheith saor
Fway vode veyh sa-ir
Sean-tír ár sinsear feasta
Shann-teer ahr shin-shir faw-sta
Ní fhágfar faoin tiorán ná faoin tráill
Nee awg-fur fwane teer-awn naw fwane trawl
Anocht a théam sa bhearna baoil
A-nukt a hame sa varna vwail
Le gean ar Ghaeil chun báis nó saoil
Lay gyan ahr gale cunn bawsh no sail
Le gunna scréach faoi lámhach na bpiléar
Lay gunna schrake, fway law vock nah bill-air
Seo libh canaig Amhrán na bhFiann
Shuh liv conn-ig arawn naveen *
Here's the music to have a practise, played by the Army Band.
Amhrán na bhFiann (or The Soldier's Song) was formally adopted as the national anthem in 1926. It was written in 1907 by Peadar Kearney, an uncle of Brendan Behan and first published in 1912. It wasn't widely known until it was sung at the GPO during the 1916 Easter Rising.
Full official lyrics as Gaeilge and in English can be found here.
(* You may want to add "C'mon the Cats" or "Up Kilkenny" or some such phrase at the end. That's the way I was taught it anyhow ;o) Please note also, because I learned it in South Eastern Gaeilge, some pronunciations may vary.)
Hope that helps!
