Copyright Set To Expire On Irish National Anthem Next Year

Get ready for a remixed hip hop version of the Irish national anthem. Because people will be free to change Amhran na bhFiann and/or use it for commercial purposes when the copyright on the song expires next year.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan confirmed that his department holds the copyright to the song to ensure it is freely available and so that fees are not charged for its performance.

Mr Noonan said holding the rights meant the government could ensure the piece was not "used in an inappropriate context and without due deference, such as to render it an object of scorn or derision."

But this copyright will run out in 2012 on the 70th anniversary of the death of Peadar Kearney, who wrote the original English lyrics.

Independent TD Maureen O'Sullivan, who has a friend related to Mr Kearney, called on the State to ensure the anthem is not abused after the protection expires in December next year.

She also called for a change to the opening line of the song, replacing the reference to Fianna Fail (soldiers) with "laochra fail" (warriors).

"This would restore the integrity of the original words and stop it sounding like a party political broadcast," she said.

But Minister Noonan, of Fine Gael, disagreed with her.

He said the current Irish-language version of the national anthem was the "appropriate and correct interpretation" of the words as composed by Kearney.

In 1907, Kearney wrote the lyrics, while the tune was written by composer Patrick Heeney.

Heeney died in poverty in 1911, never living to see his tune's rise to prominence.

"The Soldier's Song" became a battle hymn for the men and women of the 1916 Rising.

It became Amhran na bhFiann when it was later translated into Irish by Liam O'Rinn, before being officially adopted as the national anthem in 1926.

The State purchased the copyright for the anthem in 1933 for £1,000, and paid £2,500 again later in 1965 after copyright laws changed.

The government does not own the copyright to the Irish language translations of the song made since 1917.