This article is from page 17 of the 2013-09-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 17 JPG
THE voice behind one of the most memorable songs of Clare hurling’s glory years is now calling on fans to ‘Stand for the Banner’.
Kieran McDermott, who famously sang ‘The Banner Roar’ in Clare’s Munster and All-Ireland winning year of 1995, has released a new song to celebrate the Banner County’s latest march on Croke Park.
‘Stand for the Banner’ sees Kieran team up with sound technician Matt Purcell, world famous fiddle player Martin Hayes and Ennis chamber choir Cantare.
Kieran’s son Tiernan and Matt Purcell’s father also contribute to the song which had it’s first airing on Clare FM on Thursday.
“It’s a kind of an anthem rather than a ‘Banner Roar’ type song,” explains Kieran, “It’s a Clare anthem we’re angling at rather than a hurling song. It’ll either take off or it won’t. It’s not as jumpy as the ‘Banner Roar’ but it’s more of a rallying march. That’s the idea anyway!”
The song, along with other wellknown Clare hurling hits, will be available to download on iTunes. Proceeds raised will go towards the Clare Hurling Supporters’ Club.
Kieran explains, “‘The Banner Roar’ is now defunct, you can’t buy it anywhere and the one from 1997, ‘You’ll never beat the Banner’, you can’t get that anywhere either. In ‘95, I flew around the county trying to get all the songs into one place. We brought out an album of all the songs that were out at the time called the ‘Banner Rises And Sings’. Things like ‘How’s it Goin’ Lohan?’, Aaron Esley’s song, a mix-up of Matthew McMahon’s commentaries called ‘Weird on the Wireless’. You can’t get that stuff anymore. The idea now is that we’ll put the new song, ‘The Banner Roar’ and ‘You’ll Never Beat the Banner’ on iTunes and people can download it. But all the money from that will go the Clare Supporters’ Club.”
If ‘Stand for the Banner’ can replicate the success of the ‘Banner Roar’, the coffers of the Clare Supporters’ Club could soon be overflowing.
Kieran says, “Back in 1995, I was running around the county to places with tapes. We had tapes in Anthony Daly sports, Feakle, Kilkishen, Maxol Stations, everywhere. It was nightmare of a fortnight before [the AllIreland] trying to keep them stocked but things have moved on from that with technology. It would be nice as an alternative fundraiser for the lads. Hopefully it might build up.”