Ireland often sing two different anthems in rugby because one is the official national anthem of the Republic of Ireland, and the other was created to include people from both the Republic and Northern Ireland in a less divisive way.

Quick Scoop: The Short Version

  • The official Irish national anthem is “AmhrĂĄn na bhFiann” (“A Soldier’s Song”).
  • The Ireland rugby team represents the whole island: the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland together.
  • Because “AmhrĂĄn na bhFiann” is closely tied to Irish independence and can feel politically charged to some Unionists in Northern Ireland, a second song, “Ireland’s Call,” was specially written as a more neutral, all-island anthem for sport.
  • At many rugby matches in Dublin, you’ll hear both: “AmhrĂĄn na bhFiann” (Republic’s anthem) and then “Ireland’s Call” (for the whole island team). At some away games, only “Ireland’s Call” is used.

A Bit of Story: How It Ended Up This Way

In the early 1900s, “A Soldier’s Song” was written as a rebel song about fighting for Irish freedom from British rule, and it later became the national anthem of the Irish Free State and then the Republic of Ireland. Its lyrics are openly about armed struggle and independence, which made it a powerful symbol for many in the south—but also uncomfortable or alienating for many in Northern Ireland, especially Unionists who feel British.

During the Troubles and even before, the song was sometimes nicknamed the “Sinn Féin anthem,” underlining how politically loaded it could be. There was even a notorious 1987 IRA bombing that injured three Irish rugby players travelling from Belfast to Dublin, an event that highlighted just how sensitive symbols like flags and anthems were around an all-island team.

To ease tensions and create something everyone on the team could stand behind, a new song was commissioned for sport in the 1990s. Composer Phil Coulter wrote “Ireland’s Call” as a non-military, forward-looking anthem meant to represent players and fans from all four provinces—Leinster, Munster, Connacht, and Ulster—without picking a side in old political battles.

Why Two Anthems at Rugby Matches?

Here’s how it typically works today for rugby:

  1. Who the team represents
    • The Ireland rugby team is an all-island team, combining players from the Republic and Northern Ireland.
 * That means there isn’t just one straightforward political symbol everyone agrees on.
  1. “Amhrán na bhFiann” – the state anthem
    • Official national anthem of the Republic of Ireland.
 * Sung at state occasions and many sporting events in the Republic.
 * In rugby, it’s usually sung at home games in Dublin, but players from Northern Ireland don’t have to sing it.
  1. “Ireland’s Call” – the rugby anthem
    • Specifically written in the 1990s for the Irish rugby team as an inclusive, all-island anthem.
 * Meant to avoid references that could be seen as anti-British or tied to one side in the conflict.
 * Sung by the whole team and crowd as the shared rugby song of Ireland.
  1. Match-day practice
    • In Dublin: often both are sung—first “AmhrĂĄn na bhFiann,” then “Ireland’s Call.”
 * In some away games or neutral venues: only “Ireland’s Call” is used as the team anthem.

Mini Section: Politics, Identity, and Sport

Rugby on the island of Ireland has long tried to be a space where people from different communities can stand together, even when they disagree deeply about history and politics. Using two anthems is basically a compromise:

  • One song honours the official state anthem of the Republic.
  • The other tries to give everyone on the island—north and south—something they can rally behind without feeling excluded or attacked.

So when you hear two anthems before an Ireland rugby match, you’re not just listening to extra music; you’re hearing a kind of mini peace-process ritual, squeezed into a few minutes before kickoff.

Forum / “Trending Topic” Angle

If you look at fan discussions and Q&As online, people often ask exactly “why do Ireland sing two anthems” when the Six Nations or big Autumn games put the team in the spotlight again. The same basic themes keep coming up in these threads:

  • Confusion from new fans: “Wait, did they just do two national anthems?”
  • Explanations about the all-island nature of the team and the politics of the official anthem.
  • Debates about whether Ireland should stick with the two-anthem system, drop one, or find a completely new song.

You’ll also see people joking about which song is more singable in the stands (lots admit they only know the chorus of “Ireland’s Call”), while others strongly defend “Amhrán na bhFiann” as central to Irish history and identity.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.

TL;DR: Ireland sing two anthems in rugby because “Amhrán na bhFiann” is the Republic’s official anthem, while “Ireland’s Call” was created so the all- island team (including Northern Ireland) could have a shared, less political song everyone can stand behind.