The Dublin-Kerry football match last week has sparked a debate around the national anthem – is it acceptable for athletes to not know their country’s national anthem?

On Lunchtime Live, a caller told Andrea she felt “shocked” and “disheartened” that while watching the match, she noticed a majority of players and attendees weren’t singing ‘Amhrán na bhFiann’.

“It struck me how few of the players were actually singing the national anthem and the camera moved to the audience and actually very few of the supporters were singing it either,” Claire said.

“And it just posed the question to me, ‘Do we really, as a nation, not know our national anthem?’”

Claire said she thinks singing the national anthem shows pride in your country and heritage.

“I mean, if you look at other they say national teams like the Scots or the Welsh, maybe even our own rugby team, like they are so proud to be up there representing their country, and they are belting [the anthem] out,” she said.

“I'd imagine that these same countries at local level or county level, or, you know, smaller levels, would be very, very proud because they're playing a game that is part of their heritage and their identity.

“Why would they not, you know, extend that to their national songs?

“I was kind of shocked and I was very disheartened.”

Ireland rugby players singing national anthem. 15/11/2024 Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

The caller said she thinks it should be mandatory in schools for the national anthem to be taught.

“I think that, at Government level, it should be mandatory that at primary school, the national anthem should be taught,” Claire said.

“I think it's hit and miss that it's left up to the teachers.

“Teachers who are very dedicated or very keen about this, they will teach their classes [but] if they're not, then the national anthem is not [taught].”

Claire said that if Spanish and French is being taught in Primary schools, it shouldn’t be a big step for the Department of Education to ensure the national anthem is taught.

She said that for sportspeople representing their country or county, they should especially be expected to learn the anthem.

Listen back here:

Allianz Football League Division 1 match between Kerry and Dublin. 15/02/2025 Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile