The Sash
"The Sash" is a ballad from Northern Ireland commemorating the victory of King William III in the Williamite War in Ireland in 1690–1691. The lyrics mention the 1689 Siege of Derry, the 1689 Battle of Newtownbutler near Enniskillen, the 1691 Battle of Aughrim, and the 1690 Battle of the Boyne. It is popular amongst Ulster loyalists and many other unionists in Northern Ireland, it also remains a popular folk ballad in parts of Ireland and Scotland.
The melody has been traced back to the early 19th century. The tune of "The Sash" was well-known around Europe, and before the lyrics were added, it was a love song that lamented the division between people. Instead of "it was old and it was beautiful", the lyrics were "she was young and she was beautiful" and is in Broadside Ballads, titled "Irish Molly O". Another known printing of the tune is from 1876 including the words "The Hat My Father Wore". The song is classified in the Roud Folk Song Index as number 4796.
Lyrics
Legacy and in popular culture
The Sash also been adapted by fans of Stockport County F.C., who call it "The Scarf My Father Wore" or simply "The Anthem".Liverpool F.C. supporters have incorporated the tune of The Sash in the song "Poor Scouser Tommy". The song has been sung since the 1960's, emerging during the Bill Shankly era, and is one of the most famous and iconic Liverpool songs. The song is usually sung near the beginning of football matches, and particularly begins by the fans in the Spion Kop at Anfield. Liverpool supporters also sing it at away matches. The song combines verses set to the American folk tune “Red River Valley” with a refrain beginning “I am a Liverpudlian” sung to the melody of The Sash.
"The Sash My Father Wore" is a film short directed by history teacher Archie Reid.
The Sash features in the 1994 film "Four Days in July" as it focuses on the Twelfth of July and other Loyal Orange parades as well as sectarian divisions in Northern Ireland.
Northern Irish BBC NI sitcom Give My Head Peace frequently uses the song throughout the series as a cue for the character "Uncle Andy".
Mickybo and Me uses the ballad during the 2004 film whivh contrasts the cultural division of two boys, one Catholic, and the other Protestant.
The Sash features in "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs", a 2018 Netflix anthology Western film directed by the Coen Brothers. Northern Irish actor Liam Neeson sings the song in the film.
In the Channel 4 2018 sitcom "Derry Girls", which is set during the 1990s in Northern Ireland, the song is featured during the marching season. Despite the character's Catholic background and the sectarian tensions depicted in the series, the character Orla McCool describes the melody of a passing loyalist band as a 'cracker tune'.
During a 2019 episode of the BBC comedy "This Time with Alan Partridge", the song is used to parody the awkwardness of live "magazine" television. The satirical sequence features Steve Coogan in a dual role as Partridge and an Irish lookalike, Martin Brennan. The interview becomes chaotic when Brennan leads a singalong of several rebel and loyalist songs, including "The Sash." The humor stems from Partridge’s visible discomfort as he feels forced to join in with the anthem to maintain his professional composure on air.
A BBC Radio Ulster music documentary presented by Northern Irish folk singer Tommy Sands is named after the song, simply titled "Sash My Father Wore". It was nominated for "best music documentary" at the 2014 UK Sony Radio Awards.