The Fields of Athenry

The Fields of Athenry is a song about the Irish Potato Famine (1845-1849), which was composed in the mid-1970s by Pete St. John. The words however, originate from a broadsheet ballad published as long ago as the 1880's. A version of the song was published by Devlin in Dublin with a different tune to the one known today. Pete St. John is a prolific composer of widely sung modern ballads; his other most famous song is Dublin in the Rare Ol' Time. His songs often express regret for the loss of old certainties (the latter song regrets the loss of Nelson's Pillar and the Metropole Ballroom, two symbols of old Dublin, as progress makes a 'city of my town'). The Fields of Athenry is widely seen as the definitive folk song on the Famine, telling the story of the Famine through the personal experiences of someone gaoled and deported.
The song, which was first recorded by Irish ballad singer Paddy Reilly, recounts the tale of a mythical Irishman in prison, reporting the story he could hear through the prison walls of another prisoner who is being deported to Botany Bay for stealing food to feed his starving family.
The song has been recorded by many artists, but Paddy Reilly's original version, with Reilly's distinctive baritone vocalisation, and orchestral arrangement, is generally seen as the definitive version.
The song is also associated with London Irish rugby club and the football club Celtic F.C. (of Glasgow, Scotland) which has a strong association with Ireland. The Fields of Anfield Road is sung by Liverpool F.C. supporters to the same tune, but with subtly adapted lyrics referencing their history and stadium.