Why Ireland Still Sings Viva la Quinta Brigada | Belfast Riots, Music & Memory

Following the recent riots in Belfast, I found myself returning to Christy Moore’s anti-fascist song Viva la Quinta Brigada. What begins as a song about Irish volunteers who fought fascism in the Spanish Civil War reveals a deeper story about Ireland, identity, belonging, and an argument the country is still having nearly a century later. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we explore: • The Irish volunteers of the Connolly Column • The Blueshirts and Irish support for Franco • Christy Moore’s role as a custodian of Irish cultural memory • Why Viva la Quinta Brigada remains one of Ireland’s most powerful protest songs • What the song can tell us about the Belfast Riots and modern Ireland 00:00 Intro 00:23 Belfast Riots 03:40 The Story of Viva La Quinta Brigada 05:00 Irish in the Spanish Civil War 06:27 Christy Moore 07:38 The Power of Protest Songs 08:25 Fighting Fascism 11:27 Why Viva La Quinta Brigada Still Matters 13:12 What Do You Think? 13:59 Christy #ChristyMoore #Podcast #VideoEssay #Belfast #BelfastRiots