Traditions, folklore, history and more. If it's Irish, it's here. Or will be!

"People will not look forward to posterity who never look backward to their ancestors."
-Edmund Burke

Quotes

Library: Books, Movies, Music

Prints & Photos

Poetry

Jokes

Music Review: No Irish Need Apply
by Bridget Haggerty

Was there ever a more visceral phrase than No Irish Need Apply? During the time of the Penal Laws, the town of Bandon in Co. Cork had a sign which said: Enter here, Turk, Jew or atheist, any man except a Papist.
Underneath those lines, some Irishman, fighting back with the only two things left that could not be stripped from him - his wit and his dignity - wrote: "The man who wrote this wrote it well, for the same is writ on the gates of Hell." Herewith, a review of a great CD by the Gallant Sons of Erin.

The same Penal Laws that banned the Irish from speaking their language, practising their religion, educating their children, and even "wearing the green" (displaying the shamrock on St. Patrick's Day) drove many a young man to answer ads to fight in the American civil war. Thousands came over to join the cause. "No Irish Need Apply" is a musical interpretation of the history of Company K, of the Irish Brigade's 28th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment

The Gallant Sons of Erin are a new group and No Irish Need Apply is their first recording. The New England-based band is largely comprised of Civil War reenactors who portray members of the old regiment. What they've put together is a unique collection of 14 original recordings of Civil War-era tunes written about Irish-American soldiers in the Union army. All but two of the songs are either rare or presented in recorded form for the very first time.

Extensive research went into this project as evidenced by a 40-page booklet that accompanies the CD. It's not enough that we get to listen to a very well done version of the Irish Jaunting Car, but we also have the opportunity to learn the history of each song. Band member Mark DeAngelis says: "The booklet was an integral part of the project. We always saw this as being about history more than the music. We could have created a CD of campfire songs, but we wanted to present the history of the 28th Massachusetts in a new genre. When coupled with the interactive notes on the website, we think we have a product that teachers can use in the classroom, and that we hope is of interest to historians, musicians, and others interested in Civil War and Irish-American history."
But what about that evocative title of the collection? Mark says "The album name is the title of the song that we believe best expressed the essence of the Irish immigrant experience of the era. We felt the reader or hearer would immediately understand that the CD was a reaction to or an explanation of the 'No Irish Need Apply' syndrome - as is John Poole's original composition - and not an endorsement of it."

As one reviewer wrote - "The irony of the NINA syndrome was palpable in the Civil War years. The Irish were encouraged and sometimes even coerced into the service of the Union and by this act were asked to give the ultimate gesture of citizenship: to serve and perhaps die for their adopted country, but at the same time they were seen by many as not being worthy of even the most menial jobs in civilian life."

This is a CD we'd recommend to anyone who is interested in the role the Irish played in the American Civil War. But, even if you're not turned on by history, it's one of those recordings you can put on as terrific background music for an Irish party. Of course, there will always be a curious guest or two who will want to know more about the band and the album. You'll find everything you need to know here:28th Mass. Infantry.