User:Jnestorius/Irish county songs

Many are from the nineteenth century and the perspective of nostalgic emigrants. Alan Titley calls them "cringe-making Victoriana". In 1997 the GAA produced a double album All Ireland Songs & Heroes: A Musical Tribute to 32 Counties, with one track per county, plus "The West's Awake", used by any Connacht county which reaches the All Ireland Final, and the national anthem, "Amhrán na bhFiann".

From the 1930s the GAA encouraged crowd singing at matches, with the Artane Boys Band playing before matches and during the half-time interval, and the words of county songs printed in match programmes. Since the 1990s the national anthem before the All Ireland final has been sung by a professional singer, with county songs sometimes also featured.

All Ireland Final songs
Besides the perennial anthems, there are often songs written immediately before a particular All-Ireland Final by supporters anticipating victory. Kerry's "Five-in-a-row" song before the 1982 football final became a notorious instance of hubris when Kerry suffered a shock defeat to Offaly. More final songs have had commercial releases since the 1990s, with "Dancing at the Crossroads" topping the charts as Wexford won the 1996 hurling final. Internet content delivery systems have increased the possibility of amateur efforts becoming viral hits.

At the 1980 football semifinal, inquiries by Sean Kilfeather of crowd members could not ascertain the song played as Offaly anthem.