Outwardly and publicly those in political positions of power in the Republic have been portraying the country as a mature 21st century European State on good terms with it’s neighbours such as at joint British-Irish meetings , commemorations and such talk of an imminent visit of H.R.H. Queen Elizabeth etc. Internally the reality within the State is that just underneath the surface lies the real sinister truth .
An example of this was exposed in an article in the Tribune newspaper “State bans world war memorials on Defence Forces properties” by Ken Foxe dated 11th July 2010 .”Separate identity”, “commemorating soldiers that fought under a foreign flag” and that the Dept. intends only to erect Óglaigh na héireann memorials on Defence Forces properties. These words expressed were part of the Dept. of Defence’s response to a request from a commemoration society who offered to fit a memorial to the Royal Munster Fusiliers at a barracks in Cork. “Separate identity” portrays the decision makers exclusive and isolationist mindset. At that time during the Great War the “Union” flag would have been an official flag of Ireland and it was only viewed as foreign by Republicans .
Are those in the Dept. of Defence whose decision it is to ban the memorials afraid of an upsurge of interest in Ireland’s British heritage or the public awakening that Irish military history didn’t just begin in 1916 .The barracks which the Dept. of defence now occupy are those originally built for and used by the disbanded Irish regiments and what more fitting location is there to dedicate such a memorial as that of a stained glass window at St Michael’s Garrison Church in Cork . Over the centuries Irishmen, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Nationalist and Unionist as volunteers served, fought and died together in these Irish regiments of the British army such as in 1917 at Messines ridge in Belgium. Their proud memory of service in the Irish regiments was forged over centuries and had been written out of Irish history . Regiments such as the South Irish Horse, the Royal Irish Regiment, the Connaught Rangers, Prince of Wales Leinster Regiment, Royal Munster Fusiliers and Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Their memory has been erased for far too long , too long has it been left to a dedicated few involved in voluntary non profit organisations such as “the Royal Munster Fusiliers Association” www.rmfa92.org to preserve their memory.
Many memorials and place names throughout Ireland have been largely forgotten, unexplained and conveniently ignored .
Those in positions of power and influence , political or otherwise should finally stop paying cosmetic lip service and officially give recognition to the disbanded Irish regiments . Their heroic story should be an integral part of the school history curriculum and it should by propelled into the mainstream of public conscience .
“We will remember them”.
“An inconvient truth…” was first published in Faith & Liberty Magazine Issue 1
