Ирландская баллада "Патриотическая игра"

the Irish ballad

"The Patriot Game" is an Irish ballad with lyrics by Dominic Behan and a melody from the traditional tune "One Morning in May", first released in 1958.

The song concerns an incident during the Border Campaign launched by the Irish Republican Army during the 1950s. It was written by Dominic Behan, younger brother of playwright Brendan Behan, to the tune of an earlier folksong, "One Morning in May" (recorded by Jo Stafford and Burl Ives as "The Nightingale"). It tells the story of Fergal O'Hanlon, an IRA Volunteer from Monaghan Town, County Monaghan who was killed at the age of 20 in an attack on Brookeborough Royal Ulster Constabulary barracks in County Fermanagh on 1 January 1957. The operation was devised and led by Seán Garland, an IRA man from Dublin. Another volunteer, Seán South from Limerick, was also killed during the raid. Behan later became close friends with Seán Garland, officiating as the best man at Garland's wedding. Behan had been involved with the IRA before writing the song but he did not support the continuing campaign of the IRA at the time, and altered the first verse from his initial lyrics to distance himself from nationalism. The song is one of the best known to emerge from the Irish nationalist struggle and has been popular amongst Nationalists. It has been covered by artists from different traditions such as Harvey Andrews and Christy Moore, who said that British soldiers often requested the song at his gigs. "The Patriot Game" has been recorded by numerous artists, including The Kingston Trio, The Bluebells, The Dubliners, The Wolfe Tones, Schooner Fare, and The Clancy Brothers. It also appears on the Judy Collins LP record Whales and Nightingales. In December 1965 it was performed on Granada Television’s “Opportunity Knocks” by the folk group “The Exiles” to great acclaim by the audience.

Like Behan, Bob Dylan used the melody of "The Merry Month of May" for his own song "With God on Our Side". He was annoyed because the first two verses of Dylan's song were a parody of his own song. Behan took the view that the provenance of Dylan's entire body of work must be questioned. Mike Evans writes that "legend has it" that, during an early tour of the UK by Bob Dylan, Behan rang him at his hotel room with an uncompromising tirade. When Bob Dylan suggested that "My lawyers can speak with your lawyers", Behan replied, "I've got two lawyers, and they're on the end of my wrists."

American filmmaker Arthur MacCaig named his 1979 documentary after the song, a portrayal of Irish history from a Republican perspective. The title was also used as the title of a 1986 book The Patriot Game by Canadian author Peter Brimelow. The book evokes the same cynicism about nationalism, but in a Canadian context. Tom Clancy's 1987 novel Patriot Games and the 1992 film based on the novel are named for the song. The song features heavily in Martin McDonagh's play The Lieutenant of Inishmore, where it is used to comment on the character's misunderstanding of IRA splinter groups. Damien Dempsey's song "Colony" also references the title.