![]() ![]() Dublin continued to elect unionist politicians and voluntary service in the British Army was a popular career choice amongst working class Dubliners, both Catholic and Protestant. It was only with the arrival of Protestant settlers in Ulster in the Plantation of Ulster of the 17th century that the north of Ireland became the alternative seat of loyalism to Britain. This tradition continued for centuries with Dublin always remaining the centre of The Pale an area fully under control of the Crown even when Britain had little control of the rest of Ireland. It was the seat of foreign power even before the Norman invasion of 1169, being the centre of Viking power in Ireland and having a succession of Norse kings. Yet, before 1922, it should be seen as a foreign city. Dublin is, as it always has been, the capital of Ireland. While the title of the song refers to the Black and Tans of the War of Independence era, the specific context of the song is a dispute between Irish republican and loyalist neighbours in inner-city Dublin in the 1930s. The Behan family, though one of many to hold such views, personified this dual allegiance. These are often hostile philosophies in other countries but were united by a shared dislike for the injustices of a foreign monarchy controlling all power in Ireland. It therefore manages to encompass both the traditions of Irish nationalism and international socialism. The song ties Irish nationalism to the struggles of other peoples against the British Empire across the world. The lyrics are rich with references to the history of Irish nationalism and the activities of the British Army throughout the world. The song was written by Dominic Behan as a tribute to his father Stephen, often authorship of the song is attributed to Stephen. ![]() " Come Out Ye Black and Tans" (sometimes " Black and Tan") is an Irish rebel song referring to the Black and Tans, the British paramilitary police auxiliary force in Ireland during the 1920s. ![]()
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