Sir, – My compliments to Ann Marie Hourihane for her excellent article on the Irish Army Band’s pitiful treatment on their appearance at the inauguration of Michael D Higgins (Opinion, November 14th). Her points echo my own for this Government’s recent risible treatment of our armed services. I was struck by the failure of whoever is responsible to protect the bandsmen from Ireland’s “soft” weather. It was lashing, and their uniforms were of little protection to them.
Contrast this with the UK’s Remembrance Day commemorations at London’s Cenotaph, on November 13th, where British army bandsmen were fully outfitted, with their greatcoats on, thus protecting their No 1 uniforms. It was sunny and dry by contrast, but presumably cold. With all the ballywho in the media these past few days over our need for any army at all, I am driven to comment that memories are short in the bunker that is the Dáil. For it was barely a decade ago that our own Army was stationed along the Border protecting our citizens from harm.
Shame on our politicians for their short memory. – Yours, etc,