Sir, – Christopher Dorman-O'Gowan writes that it is "very unlikely" that raw recruits would have been sent to Dublin (May 27th). Capt E Gerrard, Royal Field Artillery, was in Beggars Bush barracks during the fighting on Northumberland Road and Mount Street Bridge. He led men of the Sherwood Foresters in an attack on the rebels on the nearby railway embankment, and described them as follows: "The young Sherwoods that I had with me had never fired a service rifle before. They were not even able to load them. We had to show them how to load them." (Bureau of Military History, Witness Statement 0348)
“Raw recruits” sounds like a good description. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL PEGUM,
Donnybrook,
Dublin 4.
A chara, – I note with interest the recent comments regarding the commemoration of those who died in the 1916 Rising and the surrounding events. I think that I, along with many other Irish people, feel somewhat dismayed by the approach of the Government in this matter.
This official approach, as can be seen from the comments of Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan, seems to be somewhat apologetic that the Irish, some of them at least, had the temerity to challenge the imposition of foreign law and rule on Ireland by the British Empire ("We must acknowledge British soldiers killed in the Rising", Opinion & Analysis, May 26th).
All deaths in war are tragic. The point seems to be overlooked that these British soldiers were enforcing the will of a foreign empire upon a subjugated people. I for one am at a loss as to why we need to commemorate such deaths.
The British Empire declined to show any such mercy to the Irish people with their executions of the 1916 leaders, coupled with their unleashing a few years later of the savage and cruel Black and Tans on a terrified civilian population. Anyone who would feel the need to commemorate the deaths of these Black and Tans would need to have their sanity verified.
If we are going to go down the road that all deaths should be commemorated, why shouldn’t Britain erect plaques with the names of all the dead that its armies slaughtered throughout the British Empire? If this were to be the case, a significant portion of central London would need to be dedicated to this endeavour. – Is mise,
ROB Mac GIOLLARNÁTH,
Sandyford,
Dublin 18.