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.

Dr Millar argues that in the wake of Brexit, such songs form part of a cultural nostalgia for multiple and intersecting imagined pasts. These pasts in turn resonate with the rise of populism in other parts of the world and are weaponized to defend against the looming existential threat of a United Ireland.

About the speaker

Stephen R. Millar is Senior Lecturer in Anthropology and Ethnomusicology at Queen’s University Belfast. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from Queen’s and an MPhil in Music from the University of Cambridge. Prior to taking up his current position, Stephen taught at the University of Amsterdam. Stephen’s work focuses on music, power, and conflict. He  has published four books including Performing Paramilitarism (Oxford, 2026); Sounding Dissent (Michigan, 2020); and Football and Popular Culture (Routledge, 2021).