Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tá lúcháir orm bheith anseo inniu leis an deis seo a thapú. I dtús báire, déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Seanadóir Marcus Ó Dálaigh as ucht na réamhoibre atá déanta aige leis an ócáid seo a eagrú. Is ábhar fíorthábhachtach é seo. Is páirt dár n-oidhreacht, dár dúchas agus dár gcultúr é "Amhrán na bhFiann". Mar a deirtear sa seanfhocal, "If we do not know where we came from, how can we know where we are going?"

Sometimes, there is a great movement in this country to airbrush history. We should never be a party to that. It is wrong because it diminishes the contributions made by our forefathers, not only in shaping our nation, but who we are as a people and a country.

I have a few questions. Regarding the song's origin, the alternative for the Government of the time was the formal or informal recognition of "God Save the King" as the quasi-national anthem.