Comments on: Remembrance in Ireland

By: Colum

Colum — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:24:08 +0000

Yes Henry Norman, the Irish should be very grateful for everything that the Brits did for them

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVGC1nrxcuY

By: Eagle

Eagle — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:56:34 +0000

Last week I was on a short journey that covered some of the ground you’ve covered here. Really blew me away. I’m still trying to process it all in my head. http://bit.ly/85SYV

By: sam

sam — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:57:57 +0000

i am glad to see the republic of ireland remembering those who paid the supreme sacrifice on the battle fields.yes,there were those who stayed at home and caused an uprising.but for those who put on a uniform,they must be remembered.we had the privilage late last year to visit the irish national war graves memorial garden.here we laid wreathes and held a short service of remembrance.something that everyone should never forget.when we saw the ages of some of the young soldiers on headstones in france and belgium it brought a lump to your throat.

lest we forget

By: Henry Norman

Henry Norman — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:07:05 +0000

I for one am delighted that people from the Irish republic don’t wear poppies because it would be an insult to all the brave men that give up their lives for the freedom of Europe. I think it is outrages that the Irish nation would even contemplate hold services for Remembrance day because the Irish contributed absolutely zilch to the liberation of Europe, its disgraceful these parasites are allowed to rip off post-war Europe for subsidies

Ireland even took the opportunity of the British preoccupation with fighting the Great War to stage an uprising in Dublin at Easter 1916. Most Irish opinion at that time – Catholic & Protestant – was horrified by this. Granted we did over-reacted, put the Republicans up-against-the-wall, and shot them. Irish public opinion then swung the other way and the scene was set for a bloody civil war, the outcome of which was Partition.

During the 1939-45 war – again, Irish Republicans took advantage of the British preoccupation with clobbering the Germans (this time in the shape of Hitler) to mount another rebellion to conclude “unfinished business” – i.e. getting the Brits out of Ireland altogether. Working on the highly questionable principle that “any enemy of my enemy is my friend”, they bought weapons from the Nazis, set off bombs in Coventry, and generally caused chaos whenever & wherever they could. Much to Winston Churchill’s disgust, De Velera’s Free State remained neutral throughout.

The “Loyalists” concluded from all of this that the Irish Catholics – North & South – were treacherous, disloyal, not to be trusted. The scene was then set for the Troubles that erupted in the late 1960s, with both communities holding such overwhelmingly negative views of each other that only a spark was needed to kick-off inter-communal violence. The Civil Rights Movement provided that spark.

On a personal matter my family and I on a visit to Ireland have seen memorials obscenely defaced. I was personally assaulted, thumped and kicked in Dublin for wearing a poppy. My uncle (on his way in WW2 to join the RN and the fight against the Nazis) saw German U-boat sailors enjoying free time in the town of Cork, while it was closed to the British convoy escorts. The Irish government may, finally, have turned its coat to defend the cause of freedom – but in 1939 – 45 it was on the other side. Shame on the Irish for this and considering all that Britain have done for Ireland.

By: Fearghal O Boyle

Fearghal O Boyle — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:22:16 +0000

Conal – Just got back from Belgium last night – good piece on your blog and it brought back some good memories of last February.
Garibaldi – I just want to say that my take on remembrance is that it is the men who died who I remember, and the huge slaughter for ‘a few miles of liquid mud’ that we should never forget. No one who has ever visited the western front in my company has ever found anything ‘glorifying’ imperialism. Contrary to what you have asserted, most of the Irishmen who I have researched did join the war for very honourable reasosns, either to achieve home rule for their own country, or to prevent home rule in their own country and I believe their actions were informed by idealism and patriotism and were therefore entirely honourable. As you can’t put yourself in their shoes, why not give them the benefit of the doubt rather than demeaning them as dishonourable imperialists?

By: Conall McDevitt

Conall McDevitt — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:47:00 +0000

Garibaldy

I think you comments sum up the great tragedy of WWI. Thnaks for taking the time to share them.

By: Garibaldy

Garibaldy — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:39:56 +0000

This has little to do with Ireland, but about the nature of the war itself. In the rush to commemorate, and be inclusive, we are forgetting the real nature of the war, and the real victims. Note I have not made the argument that they were traitors or whatever. What I have said is that they fought for an imperialist power in a war for imperial dominance. Why is that worth recognising? It was not an honourable action. And it was a decision to go without conscription, nor had Ireland been invaded, unlike France and Belgium.

By: Conall McDevitt

Conall McDevitt — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:28:51 +0000

Garibaldy.

Your view and you are entitled to it. I cannot say I hear too many modern Irish voices that would agree with you though.

The reason my ancestors were not there is because they saw that period as Ireland’s opportunity and fought here at home for that. I am deeply proud of them but believe the time has long past when we should recognise those who answered another call.

By: Garibaldy

Garibaldy — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:17:23 +0000

No mention of the fact that those Irishmen were fighting in a war over who would crush and exploit the peoples of Africa and Asia? Is that really something we should remember with pride? I think we should remember them with shame – as fools who threw their lives a way for a system of exploitation, supported as that system was by John Redmond and his party.

By: O’Conall Street » Blog Archive » 11.11.08

O’Conall Street » Blog Archive » 11.11.08 — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:44:27 +0000

[...] years on and RTE are making an effort to remember. I posted my personal views on the need for Ireland to do more in this regard on [...]