Erin Go Bragh

Erin Go Bragh (also sometimes: Erin Go Braugh) is the Anglicization of a Gaelic phrase used to express allegiance to Ireland. It is most often translated as "Ireland Forever", [ [http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861689851/Erin_go_bragh.html Encarta MSN Dictionary - "An expression (interjection) meaning "Ireland forever"] ] and pronounced

The standardized spelling in modern Irish is "Éire go Brách"; however, "Éirinn" (which survives as the dative form in the modern standard) is the form historically used by native speakers and is the source of the Anglicized "Erin." This linguistic shift (dative forms replacing nominative) was common among Irish nouns of the fifth declension. [ [http://www.irishgaelictranslator.com/translation/viewtopic.37140.html what is this in gaelic? ] ]

Other recent derivative spellings include "Érin go brea". This is sometimes translated as "Ireland the beautiful" - based on a loose translation of "go breá" as "is beautiful". However, this derivation and translation are not supported in the phrase's use as a war cry, nor in the language (in Irish, the "go" preposition, meaning "until" when following a dative OR nominative noun, does not readily lend itself to this translation)..

Anglo-Irish usage

From the emergence of the Irish Patriot Party and its chequered success after 1780, a number of groups such as the Irish Whigs used phrases and slogans such as "Erin go bragh" to proclaim an Irish identity, even though the users may not have been Irish speakers. By the time of the 1798 rebellion the famous London cartoonist James Gillray cruelly portrayed the Patriot leader Henry Grattan as a rebel leader shouting "No Union" (no union with Britain) and "Erin go Brach". Where Gillray learned the phrase is not known. Grattan was not a rebel in 1798 but suffered in the aftermath for his liberal views.

Emigrant nationalism

However the phrase became Anglicized, it was already in use as "Erin Go Bragh" by 1847. In that year, a group of Irishmen serving in the United States Army during the U.S.–Mexican War deserted and joined the Mexican side. These soldiers, known as "Los San Patricios", or Saint Patrick's Battalion, flew as their standard a green flag with a harp on it, with the motto "Erin Go Bragh" underneath [ [http://flagspot.net/flags/mx^pat.html “Original Flag” of Batallón de San Patricio The "San-Patricios", "Los Colorados", San Patricio Company] ] . Variations on this flag design have been used at different times to express Irish nationalism.

By 1862 there was an emigrant ship operated by the Black Ball Line called the Erin go Bragh [ [http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/refships.html Stray ships to Australia] ] , which had the dubious honour of making the longest trip from Britain to Moreton Bay, Australia. She suffered many dead on the voyage, according to an unpublished contemporary account and, ironically, arrived in the same week that Black Ball's Young Australia completed the fastest crossing.

In the late 19th century, the Edinburgh Football club, Hibernian F.C. also had 'Erin Go Bragh' adorning their shirts. Founded in 1875 by Edinburgh Irishmen and the local Catholic Church, St Patricks, the club's shirts included a gold harp set on a green background.

References

External links

* [http://www.faqfarm.com/Q/What_does_%27Erin_go_braugh%27_mean What does 'Erin go braugh' mean?] (FAQ Farm)