The title for this paper is a snippet from the writings of James Connolly, one of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland, who fervently believed that Irish anti-imperialist struggle must be tied to the socialist movement. With a nod to the centenary celebrations and Connolly’s politics, this paper considers the values and motivations underpinning popular music-making practices in contemporary Ireland, drawing from ethnographic research on music-making in Cork city (2010-2013). It questions whether England does still rule us, where ‘England’ is understood – in this very specific context – as a provocative allegorical reference to capitalist and materialist values. Focusing particularly on social relations and practices within the local music scene, my analysis emphasises their solidaristic and altruistic underpinnings. It builds on classical and contemporary anthropological theories of gifts, favours, and exchangism, to propose some new conceptual ideas that seek to describe a mutualist mode of existence that is evidenced within the empirical findings. In reflecting on our history and our contemporary practices, this lays some foundations for imagining Ireland’s possible futures, and the significance of creative activities for realising these futures.