Erin Go Bragh
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Erin Go Bragh (also commonly spelled Erin Go Braugh) is an Anglicized Gaelic phrase used to express allegiance to Ireland. It is most often translated as "Ireland Forever", and pronounced ER-in go BRA.
Origin
Speakers of the Irish language often state that the phrase is a corruption of the Irish "Éire go brách" or "Éireann go Brách", which would be pronounced closer to guh BRAWK. However, it should be noted that the Scottish Gaelic phrase "Éirin gu bràth", which literally means "Ireland until the Day of Judgement", is pronounced almost identically to the Anglicized phrase.
It seems inconceivable that a phrase which has come to so strongly represent Ireland could have come not from the Irish (Gaeilge) but instead from the Scottish (Gàidhlig). However, a Scottish song from the 19th century entitled "Erin-go-Bragh" may have had something to do with this unusual progression. It tells the story of a Highland Scot who is mistaken for an Irishman. The first two verses are presented here, and a link to the lyrics may be found in the External links section.
- My name's Duncan Campbell from the shire of Argyll
- I've travelled this country for many's the mile
- I've travelled through Ireland, Scotland and a'
- And the name I go under's bold Erin-go-bragh
- One night in Auld Reekie as I walked down the street
- A saucy big polis I chanced for to meet
- He glowered in my face and he gi'ed me some jaw
- Sayin' "When cam' ye over, bold Erin-go-bragh?"
Emigrant nationalism
Erin_Go_Bragh_flag.jpg
The Harp With Motto flag
However the phrase became Anglicized, it was already in use as "Erin Go Bragh" by 1847. In that year, a group of Irishmen serving in the United States Army during the U.S. - Mexican War deserted and joined the Mexican side. These soldiers, known as Los San Patricios, or Saint Patrick's Battalion, flew as their standard a green flag with a harp on it, with the motto "Erin Go Bragh" underneath it. Variations on this flag design have been used ever since to express Irish nationalism.
External links
- "Erin-go-Bragh" (19th century Scottish song) (http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtrad/pages/tiERNGOBRA;ttERNGOBRA.html)
- Abby Bender, The Cultural "Hybridity" of the San Patricio Battalion Flag (http://www.cwru.edu/affil/sce/Texts_2002/Benderptr.html)