Regrettably, for thirty-one of the counties in Ireland, terrace chanting consists primarily of shouting the county name over and over again at irregular intervals. Their are pockets of inventiveness and variation to be found here and there. But in the main, it's barren soil. The Dubs on Hill 16, by contrast, have led the way in the field of terrace chanting, pioneers in their own way right the way back to the earliest days of colour TV in Ireland.
Boom Boom! Let me hear you say Jayo!
The Outthere Brothers breakout hit of 1995 rang out from the Hill on that blazing hot summer. It was the good fortune of the American hip-hop duo that their song 'Boom Boom! Let me hear you say wayo!' coincided with the arrival of Jason 'Jayo' Sherlock on the national stage.
The Dubs were struggling to get the better of the northern kingpins, whoever they happened to be, for the previous three years. The young Sherlock added an extra dimension to their wizened and weather-beaten forward line, enabling the Dublin team of the 90s to finally clamber over the line at Tyrone's expense in the 1995 All-Ireland final.
And the Hill saluted.
The Jacks are back
Probably the most well constructed chant to emerge from Hill 16. More like the chorus in a song than an actual chant.
The Jacks were indeed back in 1974 after spending years mired in irrelevance. Many Dubliners remembered that the county had a Gaelic football team.
Heffo's Army plonked their flag on Hill 16 and there it has stood since.
The Jacks are back,
The Jacks are back,
Let the Railway End go barmy,
For Hill 16 has never seen,
The likes of Heffo’s Army.
Hill 16 is Dublin only
A re-assertion of the right of the supporters of Dublin to the ownership of Hill 16. It is of course generally understand that this is contingent on the Dubs actually playing.
The terrace doesn't remain closed to the general public when teams other than Dublin meet in the All-Ireland final.
It may have taken on greater urgency during the 2013 All-Ireland final when excitable Mayo supporters pushed their way onto the sacred incline that the Dubs have long insisted theirs. Theirs only.
Vinny's goin to get ya
Reebok's nightmarish ad featuring a terrified trainer-wearer sprinting down the street away from a giant, protruding belly in hot pursuit. A belly which was independent of the body which might house it. Needless to say, because the man was decked out in Reeboks, he managed to escape the clutches of the belly.
The Dubs took on the chant 'Belly's going to get ya' and reworked it in honour of 90s folk hero Vinny Murphy. Big Vin's finest era was the early 90s. He was the Dubs g0-to man in the inside forwards during the run to the final in 1992. He scored one tremendous goal against Clare in the All-Ireland semi-final.
During the latter part of his career, Vinny was usually deployed as a substitute. He is perhaps most famous now for his his habit of throwing a few ceremonial shoulders into the opposing full back.
Come on you boys in blue!
If the Hill has a signature chant, this is it. The go-to clarion call. Yes, it might be basically stolen from Lansdowne Road, and it might shared with the Leinster rugby team, but it's the call of the Hill beyond any real doubt.
