Northern Ireland

Dublin folk singer Damien Dempsey releases James McClean tribute song

The ballad references the sectarian abuse that the footballer has endured

New Zealand ruined Republic of Ireland’s James McClean’s big night as they fought back to claim a 1-1 draw in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)
James McClean

Singer Damien Dempsey has released a tribute song to soccer star James McClean, referencing the sectarian abuse the Irish footballer has endured throughout his career.

Titled “James McClean,” the song is featured on Dempsey’s new album “Hold Your Joy,” which was released last week.

The 35-year-old Wrexham winger was routinely criticised for over a decade for refusing to wear a shirt with a red poppy in 2012 while playing for Sunderland.

The Derry naive believes it to be a “gesture of disrespect” towards victims of the Troubles, especially those who died in the Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry back in 1972.

McClean has regularly been targeted with abuse by football fans for the decision and disclosed that he has received death threats in the past.

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Dublin singer-songwriter Damien Dempsey
Dublin singer-songwriter Damien Dempsey

In 2014 McClean wrote to former Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan outlining his reasons for not wearing a poppy.

“If the poppy was a symbol only for the lost souls of World War I and II I would wear one. I want to make that 100 per cent clear.

“For people from the North of Ireland such as myself, and specifically those in Derry, scene of the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre, the poppy has come to mean something very different,” he declared.

Dempsey’s new ballad summarizes McClean’s experiences singing: “He walks into the stadium to compete with the best, but he’s greeted with hatred, all because of his vest.

“He would wear one for soldiers who died in the World Wars, but won’t wear one for killers who kicked in Irish doors.”

Dempsey is known for his traditional Irish folk contemporary lyrics that deliver social and political commentaries on Irish society.

His new album, ‘Hold Your Joy’, is available in record shops and digital stores now.