Following the recent race riots in Belfast in the North of Ireland, I found myself returning to one of the most important songs in Irish music, Christy Moore’s Viva la Quinta Brigada.
Written about Irish volunteers who travelled to Spain to fight fascism during the Spanish Civil War, the song preserves a forgotten chapter of Irish history. But it also raises questions that remain relevant today: Who belongs in Ireland? Who gets to define Irish identity? And what can Ireland’s anti-fascist tradition teach us in moments of political tension?
In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, I explore the Connolly Column, the Blueshirts, Christy Moore’s songwriting, and why Viva la Quinta Brigada continues to resonate nearly ninety years after the events it describes.
The Last Mixed Tape is hosted by Stephen White, and is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
The Last Mixed Tape 
Leave a Reply