ConnachtCows wrote: Get them to play it over the speakers just before the match each week

Oh please don't do that.

The first year we were in the Heineken Cup the branch did try to get 'The Wests Awake' going amongst supporters. They printed the lyrics in some of the programmes and they even had a lad out on the pitch singing it before one of the games, Toulouse I think? It didn't take off, its too maudlin. Great lyrics but you'd need to set them to a tune more chantable (is that a word?)

If you want to get the West's Awake more popular, someone needs to speak to the Connacht branch.
Get them to play it over the speakers just before the match each week, maybe just after the players return to the dressing room. Try and get people to join in singing.
By the end of the season it could be impressive.
Few people start singing along at the beginning, but as the song grows, more and more fans join in, so that by the end of the song, most of the Clan are belting it out

Could be impressive at moments when Connacht win a scrum, but there is a stop in play. By the time play kicks off again, the crowd is roaring it out to help push on the team

Not an entertainning chant indeed, but that's what's making it a "special one" for a rugby Club. Acceptance of the past and dignity, quietness with a lot of inner energy, sums up what Connacht Rugby is!

ummm, wrote: Also, it's quite dreary for a stadium chant.

Compared to "CONNNNNNACHT......CONNNNNNACHT......" and The Fields of Athenry it's The Final Bloody Countdown

No to West's awake for two reasons. One is it got rammed down my throat repeatedly as a kid I now have a deep hatred of it, and two is I detest every inevitable west awake headline by lazy journalists every time we have a good result, singing it would just encourage the unimaginative prats.

Also, it's quite dreary for a stadium chant.

The only time I liked it was when Pinky belted it out in Toulouse, but in my defence I'd been drinking.

Decadence wrote:

connachta wrote: The West's awake, such a Beautiful song! the last verse would be amazing

And if, when all a vigil keep,
The West's asleep! the West's asleep!
Alas! and well may Erin weep
That Connacht lies in slumber deep.
But, hark! a voice like thunder spake,
The West's awake! the West's awake!
Sing, Oh! hurrah! let England quake,
We'll watch till death for Erin's sake

I think even the last four lines would make a fantastic chant, unfortunately not many people even know that much. You could also replace 'England' with Scarlets, Zebre etc...

Yes, I've always thought that insisting on those last 4 lines would made it easier for the whole crowd to get used to, and maybe more "dynamic". I precise it is not against the fields of athenry, Rugby supporters can well sing 2 different songs in 80 minutes, can't they?

connachta wrote: The West's awake, such a Beautiful song! the last verse would be amazing

Great song and locally appropriate. A bit more difficult to sing. The reason The Fields and You Never Walk Alone have been so successful is that large number of half drunk tone deaf males can sing them and still sound ok.

Sing, Oh! hurrah! let RUGBY (or team name as Decadence said) quake,
We'll watch till death for CONNACHT's sake


Short snappy verse with some emotion building to the last lines, love it!

connachta wrote: The West's awake, such a Beautiful song! the last verse would be amazing

And if, when all a vigil keep,
The West's asleep! the West's asleep!
Alas! and well may Erin weep
That Connacht lies in slumber deep.
But, hark! a voice like thunder spake,
The West's awake! the West's awake!
Sing, Oh! hurrah! let England quake,
We'll watch till death for Erin's sake

I think even the last four lines would make a fantastic chant, unfortunately not many people even know that much. You could also replace 'England' with Scarlets, Zebre etc...

The West's awake, such a Beautiful song! the last verse would be amazing

And if, when all a vigil keep,
The West's asleep! the West's asleep!
Alas! and well may Erin weep
That Connacht lies in slumber deep.
But, hark! a voice like thunder spake,
The West's awake! the West's awake!
Sing, Oh! hurrah! let England quake,
We'll watch till death for Erin's sake

or the 3rd one if i'd want it "Clan appropriate"

For often, in O'Connor's van,
To triumph dashed each Connacht clan.
And fleet as deer the Normans ran
Thro' Corrsliabh Pass and Ardrahan;
And later times saw deeds as brave,
And glory guards Clanricard's grave,
Sing, Oh! they died their land to save
At Aughrim's slopes and Shannon's wave.

Agree completely. SUFTUM has been a great success in Ravenhill. Whether it be N17 or another song I think we need to change the lyrics to make it more relevant. I remember a few guys came up with a reasonably good song in O'Connells one night to the air of O Come All Ye Faithful. I suspect very little of it was remembered the following morning.

Just wondering as "The Fields of Athenry" has been adopted by a host of other teams supporters (don't get me wrong I love the song), should there be another song that is unique to Connacht. I was thinking of N17 by The Sawdoctors, has anyone got any other suggestions.