The Fields of Athenry
“The Fields of Athenry” is a song written by Pete John and tells the story of a young man during the Great Famine of 1847.
The young man stole corn to save his wife and child and was arrested and deported to Australia never to see his family again.
That was the destiny of many Irishmen in those days.
The Irish Potato Famine between 1845 and 1849 claimed more than one million victims and another one and a half million people emigrated.
“The Fields of Athenry” is a great sporting anthem, not only in Ireland.
Fans of the Scottish football club Celtic Glasgow often sing it at games and in Ireland, it is the unofficial anthem of the Irish rugby union team.
