LOCAL Irish language indie rockers The Shan Vans are set to release their new single 'An tSeanbhean'. The song will be ten minutes in length and will be accompanied by a music video featuring West Belfast Irish language artists and Palestinian solidarity activists.

Frontman Jake Óg Mac Siacais said the song will focus on celebrating Ireland's history but also explore ancient Irish poetry, as well as anti-colonial struggles in Ireland and Palestine.

Jake said: "It's a call to humanity to resist imperialism in all its modern forms. Likewise, it is a call back to the land, back to the Irish language and to the stories that connect us all together and to a beautifully inspiring and tragic history."

Speaking on the parallels between Irish history and the current reality on the ground in Gaza, Jake said numerous examples can be found including the horror of An Górta Mór – The Famine.

Jake said: "There was no scarcity of food in Ireland in the 19th century. This wasn’t a famine, it was a genocide and records show that British landowners maintained a diverse diet, and food continued to be exported from Ireland during this period.

"Those landlords expelled starving tenants, who were found dying on roads with green mouths from eating grass out of hunger. Only last week we saw footage of Palestinians having to resort to eating grass in Gaza.

"In Ireland families enduring the harsh conditions of workhouses faced overcrowding that exacerbated starvation, illness, and eventual death. For many, entering a workhouse was akin to marching toward their demise, like the sadistically named ‘humanitarian corridors’ through which Palestinians are forced and then bombed. 

"1.9 million people have been displaced by Israel in Gaza. Throughout the Great Hunger, more than a million lives were lost and another million fled to numerous countries over the world to escape hunger and death."

Jake continued: "In Ireland, British laws denied Irish Catholics hunting and fishing licenses and sold their livestock and crops to England. This is paralleled in the denial of fishing rights and civil freedoms to those in Gaza attempting to survive under a 16 year illegal and immoral blockade."

Jake stated that the parallels also continue into modern times, when veterans of the Black and Tans were sent to Palestine after causing havoc and terror in Ireland. 

Also in solidarity with Palestine, Jake recently performed some spoken word pieces at a fundraiser for the publication 'Dlúthpháirtíocht' (Solidarity) which featured scores of Irish artists, poets, writers and musicians with all proceeds going towards the Palestinian Red Crescent.

PALESTINE: Cover art for the booklet Dlúthpháirtíocht
2Gallery

PALESTINE: Cover art for the booklet Dlúthpháirtíocht

The booklet can be pre-ordered from https://dlthphirtocht.bigcartel.com/products

The Shan Van's new single is due to be released in the coming weeks.