For decades, Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ used to broadcast the national anthem at the end of the day's television schedule. Many of us will nostalgically recall the montage of picturesque nature imagery that accompanied it in the eighties and nineties.

Today, in our 24-hour society, television stations don't stop broadcasting for the night. But surely it would be a good thing to revive this practice anyway, perhaps around midnight. Human beings need ritual and ceremony but there is very little of this in our daily lives anymore. The national anthem belongs to everybody and fosters national pride, togetherness, and distinctiveness. It's rarely heard today outside big sporting occasions. Ask RTÉ to bring it back!