Ms Alex Martin:

I am grateful for the opportunity to address the committee. I am a transition year student in Eureka secondary school in Kells, County Meath. I am here today to talk to Members about why our national anthem should be copyrighted. I will discuss the history of the anthem and its copyright before outlining some of the reasons that we should safeguard it for the future.

"Amhrán na bhFiann", also known as The Soldier's Song, was written in 1909 by Peadar Kearney with music by Patrick Heeney. It was written in English by Mr. Kearney before, in the 1930s, being translated into Irish by Liam Ó Rinn It was originally used as a marching song by the Irish Volunteer Force and was sung by the rebels in the GPO during the 1916 Rising. On 12 July 1926, it was adopted by the new Irish Free State as its national anthem. In 1933, the Department of Finance paid £1,000 to copyright the anthem. However, due to copyright changes in the 1950s, it was necessary to pay an additional £2,500 in 1965 to maintain the copyright. Unfortunately, on 31 December 2012, on the 70th anniversary of its author's death, the copyright on the anthem ran out.

As Senator Mark Daly has indicated, copyrighting the anthem would protect it from being used in an inappropriate way. Contrary to views expressed by some, doing so would not deny any capacity to re-imagine the song. According to Wikipedia, during the previous copyright, most requests for publication were accepted, although several of a purely commercial nature, such as in advertisements, were denied. That was entirely appropriate. Not only does the anthem represent our struggle to overcome years of oppression, but it had a key role in the 1916 Rising, which is a crucial event in our history. I am not sure of the views of other Senators, but I am in complete agreement with Senator Daly that the commercial use of our national anthem is completely inappropriate and makes a mockery of it. I am in agreement with the Senator, too, that the use of the anthem in advertising for the new Dunnes Stores clothing range by former Kerry footballer, Paul Galvin, is completely out of order and should not be allowed. Such usage is an affront to what the anthem stands for, which is years of strife and resilience.

"Amhrán na bhFiann", like both the harp and the Irish flag, two other important elements of Irish culture and history, should be protected by the State against inappropriate commercial and advertising usage. We must restore, in the second decade of the 21st century, the protection that was afforded to our national anthem in the 1930s. I thank Senators for their attention.