Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is a language lesson as well. This is a very serious point. We have been talking about God save the Queen. What would we think of a French person who did not know the words of La Marseillaise? We should cherish our national anthem more and encourage its teaching as part of the curriculum. One does not have to admire every aspect of the lyrics to take a deeper and broader view of its historical significance.Knowing it off by heart does not mean that one is proud of a militaristic tradition, as suggested by Senator Norris.