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A Nation Once Again
Post-colonial independence was a critical ingredient in the evolution
of the Irish image abroad. A hearty selection of political songs
characterized the albums released following the fiftieth anniversary
of the Easter Rising in 1966. Cover art began to incorporate historical
references in order to package an album in provocative rebel garb.
Layered cues reinforced the patriot message, subtly triggering long-held
notions of the "Fighting Irish." The familiar lent itself to iconography:
green and orange in the tricolor were conventional "Irish" references
while the G.P.O. - the post office on O'Connell Street in Dublin
from whose steps the Irish Republic was proclaimed in 1916 - was
a landmark in every contemporary tourist guide to Ireland. On the
other hand, the revolver as a nationalist symbol was less appealing
in the American context after political unrest resurfaced in Ulster
in 1968.
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