Wolfe Tones frontman Brian Warfield has blasted what he described as "crankiness in the DUP" for stirring up controversy as he hit out at their hypocrisy.
The band's annual gig at Sunday night's Feile An Phobail in Belfast saw thousands sing along to their lyrics "Oh, ah, up the Ra" to their song Celtic Symphony. But unionists in the north have been left fuming over pro-IRA chanting.
Republican ballader Warfield told the Irish Mirror: "We're entitled to our own song and culture. They might give medals and titles back to the people who killed for England over the years - Sir or Lord this - but we don't give titles to the Irish people that fought for freedom. What we do is we give them a song in their memory."
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DUP MLA Emma Little-Pengelly - who branded the concert as a "hate fest" - called on all organisations who provide funding and sponsorship for Feile to voice their position on pro-IRA chants.
She added: "Public money cannot be used to fund an event which year after year spends hours glorifying the terrorism of the PIRA. Any organisation is entitled to apply for any grant but there are always conditions attached to funding.
"Central to many grant awards is a commitment to good relations. This festival has set good relations back decades for tens of thousands of teenagers. Rather than moving Northern Ireland forward, this festival is dragging us backwards."
One of the funders of Feile, Tourism NI, said it is investigating the matter. But Warfield says such calls come every year and pointed towards funding going towards July bonfires on council grounds in unionist areas.
And hitting out at the DUP, Warfield told us: "I think the crankiness of the DUP is very hypocritical, I don't hear them cranking about the bonfires on the Shankill road, or the Shankill butchers, or any of the things that happened in the loyalist areas.
"Remember that people are allowed to have their heroes. One song out of the whole evening describes me walking through Glasgow and reading on the walls, the graffiti on the walls, Celtic are magic are magic, and graffiti on the wall I saw said 'Oh, ah, up the Ra'.
"Now if that happens to be their heroes, they might have a reason that it is their heroes. It's not because they hate somebody else.
"I haven't heard any hateful chants from the nationalist community. Once again, the cranks are out, they come out after every concert we do. This has happened to us since the 60s."
Football club Larne suspended their player John Herron after images circulated online on Sunday evening of the former Celtic star apparently wearing a T-shirt which had the caption: “Tiocfaidh ár lá, sing up the Ra, ooh ah up the Ra.”
Asked about this, Warfield said: "I don't think any player was ever suspended for attending an orange bonfire.
"They are very cranky people and they try to keep the nationalist community down. And they don't want to give them any expression or anything."
Over the weekend, there were other incidents which saw scenes of chanting at the unveiling of a mural of a burning police vehicle. A video also surfaced online of the unveiling of the mural including chants of "Get the Brits out".
On Monday, Feile director Kevin Gamble said this year was the biggest yet, with around 100,000 people attending more than 350 events.
He pointed out that representatives from all communities were welcomed to various events, and said that no major internment bonfires took place in Belfast due to a dance music night put on by Feile to divert young people.
He said: "The benefit of the absence of these unwanted bonfires on August 8 is significant, as well as the positive images emanating from the festival events showcasing Belfast in a positive light.
"There is also the considerable benefit to the city's economy which the associated increase in visitor footfall and spending brings due to Feile."
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