A goosebump-raising rendition of the classic Irish song “Danny Boy” has been released for St Patrick’s Day 2023 as Ireland marks 100 Years in the World. Inspired by Sinead O’Connor’s 1993 version, singer Tolu Makay does the honors.
Tolü Makay Sings Danny Boy for Ireland
Marking a century of Ireland’s engagement as an active member of the international community in the promotion of democracy, peace and security, Ireland has released this video expressing their commitment to peace building from the very inception of their State, through active multilateralism and unswerving adherence to democratic values.
Starting with the League of Nations, which Ireland joined just weeks after gaining their independence, the video traces the country’s work in peace-making and peacekeeping through their membership of the United Nations. It picks out key moments of our 20th century history; in 1973 joining the then EEC, itself established to prevent future wars in Europe; in 1974 the beginnings of Irish Aid, providing development assistance in troubled parts of the world; and the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to the island after 30 years of violence.
Interwoven into the story of peace building is a theme of human solidarity and connection. At the beginning of the video, we see a young woman intently watching a theatre film-reel of episodes in our history. The melody and intensity of the song, Oh Danny Boy, rise and fall in tandem with the story of peace. We see images of Ukraine. As we come to the end, we discover that the singer is in fact the young African-Irish woman we saw at the beginning – singer Tolu Makay.
Tolü Makay brings an original and moving interpretation to the iconic song, signifying the power of cultural creativity to transcending difference and connect us to each other:
Mackay shared the following on her Instagram feed:
“Thank you to Department of Foreign affairs for asking me to be part of such a significant day. This is literally history in the making and to be inspired by the incredible @sineadoconnorofficial version from 1993 was the key into making this profound! I am truly honoured!”
Celebrating a Century of Peacebuilding
100 years after independence,
we know that peace is not just the destination,
but the path we walk
Happy #StPatricksDay
Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona daoibh go léir.