Sir, – One of the interesting titbits bandied about in the recent Scottish referendum was the curious fact that a fifth of “British” casualties in the first World War were Scottish. Irish casualties, from a country of similar population, were well less than half of the Scottish total. The difference is accounted for by the impossibility of bringing in conscription in Ireland, due to the fear of extreme republican opposition, especially after the Rising.
People such as John Bruton, who somehow persist in seeing themselves as virtuously anti-militarist, have a blind spot when it comes to this question. Redmond’s support for the war was the greatest act of political cowardice in modern Irish history. Sinn Féin’s successful campaign against conscription was perhaps that party’s greatest gift to the people of Ireland. All other debates about devolved powers, dominion status, oaths, etc, are minor details when set beside the question of Westminster’s power to forcibly conscript unwilling young men in wartime.
Tens of thousands of young lives were thrown away by Redmond’s short-sighted tactical decision to support enlistment. Tens of thousands of young lives were undoubtedly saved by Sinn Féin’s defeat of conscription. The numbers involved dwarf the casualties in 1916, the War of Independence, the Civil War, and the recent Troubles put together. Mr Bruton’s attempt to reimagine the gung-ho militarist Redmond as some kind of early John Hume figure is simply unhistorical. – Yours, etc,
TIM O’HALLORAN,
Ferndale Road,
Finglas,
Dublin 11.
A chara, – Ian d'Alton (September 23rd) is himself guilty of a "dangerous illogicality". He lays the blame for the "centre of Dublin" being "devastated" squarely on the shoulders of those who rebelled. I would remind him that he is the one who is reading "history backwards". The rebels only had small arms and it was our British colonial overlords who devastated the city by using artillery and a warship (the Helga) to shell it. – Is mise,
PAUL LINEHAN,
Thormanby Road,
Howth,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – It was heartening to hear Minister for Defence Simon Coveney say the following: "I think Irish people are very emotionally attached to 1916 as a pivotal point in Irish history and to suggest it wasn't a significant event towards the achieving of Irish independence, I don't think is a fair reflection and, in many ways, denigrates people and families who deserve better" ("Coveney 'takes issue' with Bruton's Easter 1916 Rising comments", September 22nd). – Yours, etc,
PATRICK O’BYRNE,
Shandon Crescent,
Phibsborough,
Dublin 7.