Performing paramilitarism : loyalist songs, conflict, and culture war in Northern Ireland / Stephen R. Millar.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Millar, Stephen R., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Music--Political aspects--Northern Ireland.

Music.

Paramilitary forces--Northern Ireland.

Paramilitary forces.

Political ballads and songs--Northern Ireland.

Political ballads and songs.

Music--Political aspects.

Northern Ireland.

Physical Description:

1 online resource : illustrations (chiefly color)

Other Title:

Loyalist songs, conflict, and culture war in Northern Ireland

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2026]

Summary:

During Northern Ireland's 'Troubles' (1969-98), paramilitary groups were supported and sustained by a sociocultural apparatus that helped legitimise their position within the community and disseminate their political message. From the use of flags and murals to loyalist and republican parades, working-class vernacular culture revealed who controlled various districts of the Province. For many working-class Protestants, loyalist songs were a key component of this culture, connecting the past and the present. Unlike the better-known loyalist marching band scene, the loyalist song scene was, and continues to be, much more private. Performances take place in closed settings such as local loyalist pubs and clubs, where songs are reproduced for internal consumption rather than outward expression. This book examines the role that loyalist songs played during the Troubles and why musicians and audiences still produce and consume these songs today.

Contents:

Introduction: locating loyalism, performing paramilitarism

Let us entertain you: loyalist songs, the Troubles, and the politics of cultural reproduction

Men behind the wire: loyalist prisoners and their soundscapes

Echo, violence, and reverberation: the case of Billy McFadzean

Hands across the water: music, loyalism, and sectarianism in Scotland

‘Time for Some Bigotry’: culture war and the politics of irony.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (Oxford Academic, viewed on July 22, 2026).

Other Format:

Print version : Millar, Stephen R. Performing paramilitarism.

ISBN:

9780197686461

019768646X

OCLC:

1587431211

Publisher Number:

CIPO000385228

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license