New song celebrates hurlers’ bid for glory

A KILLALOE group of musicians and songwriters are hoping to score a big hit with a new song celebrating the Clare hurlers’ bid for All-Ireland glory.

 

Unlike their Limerick counterparts who decided to compose a hurling song before the Treaty side was dumped out of the All-Ireland semi-final, MC Banner and the Killaloolas opted to wait until the Banner men actually qualified for the final.
In Supermacs at Junction 14 on Sunday night last, the six Killaloe musicians decided they would write The Banner’s Back Again, based on the well-known Depeche Mode song Just Can’t Get Enough.

High on the exploits of Tony Kelly and the Clare hurling heroes the lads put pen to paper over curried chips.
Arriving to a studio at 2am the lads recorded the song. They left in the dawn light at 6.30am and decided on the group name MC Banner and the Killaloolas.

The song was sent to Clare FM and made its debut on the breakfast show with Ciara Revins at 8.55am on Tuesday morning.
The band want to keep their identities secret for a while as they intend to arrive in many Clare towns over the coming weeks, play the song live and leave.

They will arrive in a shop, a pub and they are even going to arrive disguised at a wedding reception. They will play the song at active retirement centres in their mobile stage.
Lead singer MC Banner said, “It is a high tech stage on wheels pulled by a tractor, if you see us give us a wave”.

Beginning next Monday, they intend to cover all of Clare by All-Ireland final day.
Bass guitarist ‘Fig Rolls’ Collins said “We popped across the bridge in Killaloe  and played it at 7 o’clock on Monday in Ballina. We only played it on the tin whistle and there was no one about”.

The band have already been booked for a television appearance and are very nervous.
Box player ‘Snack Box’ Kelly said “We are firece frightened of the TV cameras, they better get my good side”.
The band have rewritten the lyrics to capture the spirit of Clare’s tremendous resilience during championship season, to rise from a demoralising defeat to Cork in the Munster semi-final to defeat Laois, Wexford, Galway and Limerick.

Hopes are high that Davy Fitzgerald can lead his charges to victory over the Rebels and bring back the Liam McCarthy Cup to the Banner County for the first time since 1997 when Tipperary were beaten for the second time that year in a thrilling decider.
A band spokesman said, “This young Clare team are amazing and they have the talent and spirit to go all the way and win the All-Ireland this year”.
MC Banner and the Kilaloolas plan to welcome the victorious team back with Liam MacCarthy in early September.

The Banner’s Back Again will be released this Friday and the lyrics include:
“They are going mad in Cratloe
“They are going mad in Quin
“The Banner’s Back Again
“The Banner’s Back Again
“The flags are flying in Feakle
“For Davy Fitzs’ men
“Bring Liam McCarthy to a Big Clare Party
“Oh it’ great to see the Banner Back again
“From Newmarket back to Cratloe
“And on out to Crusheen
They love this Banner team
“All Ireland Final Sunday
“Two thousand and thirteen
“So proud we all have been
“Of this magic Clare young team.”