Texts & Emails, Thursday 5th Nov, 2009

Topic: Rememberance day and wearing the poppy
Guests: Historian Eunan O'Halpin, Frank Callanan, author Pat Walsh and Sean Murphy of the British Legion.
A selection of texts and emails follow:

I am a 28 year old man and i fully support poppy day and the memory of all the soldiers who died believing in a just cause. I also believe that unfortunately if i was to turn up in work wearing a poppy i would be sneered at irish people still refuse to acknowledge the memory of there men who fought for what was part of the british nation at the time. It is a great shame we haven't matured as a nation. John Foxrock

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No we shouldn't (wear a poppy). A bit late in the day to commemorating it as not many alive to see it! Gay from swords

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good on for exposing the waste of irish lives for impeerialism my uncles fough against hitler and natism i admire them for it but i will not wear a poppy as it would be

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The poppy commemorates other british conflicts in which irish men have died, including the second world war. An interesting debate could be had if it included the impact on irish social history from 39 to date. David Fitzsimons

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We are commemorating the men who died for what they believed to be an honourable cause. The revisionist opinions of some historians and republicans don't change that. Patrick. Dublin

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irish and other nationalities were used as cannon foder by the brits to keep up britains land grab of the world what fools those irish were to believe britains lies peter co louth

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its no great honour to have fought or died for the british in world war two, an article in the guardian lately revealed benito mussolini was a paid mi5 agent. Who is to say hitler was not also mi5. Now see the re structuring of europe and its resembling what we were supposed to be fighting against. David in cork

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irish people should not were poppies! You are not wearing poppies just to commerate those who fought in the first world war but those british soldiers who invaded iraq and afghanistan, we should not b celebrating imperilism! Pat, coolock, dublin

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Why dont we adopt a specific GREEN POPPY for use in Ireland during November? Keith in Galway.

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So much for the flags and emblems. Republican prisoners in maghaberry prison were punished last easter for wearing easter. Thos kelly Leitrim

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ur on about remembering those irish that fought 4 the brits after 900 years of brit murder n pillage what about remembering the people of drogheda and wexford that were butchered by cronwell or am i as a real irish republican not allowed my say is it just 4 the west brits in dublin 2 decide from declan in monaghan

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The balance of power in Europe - monarchs of England, Germany and Russia were first cousins! Connolly was right, the working class sacrificed for imperial capitalism.

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What about the conscripion of the irish in WW1 AND the conscripion of catholics in Northern Ireland during WW2 and the way catholics crossing the boarder to excape conscripion. A Co. Louth viewer.

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Irishmen fought for money as they did in the boer war a wage to feed their families .

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'That man on your programme vincent.is way off makeing common sense.i am a former member of our irish defence forces.having served 32 years as a military policeman. The memory of those irishmen who fought in world wars should be commerated in this country tom horrigan cloughjordan co tipperary

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I agree that Irish people who particjpated were deliberately misled It was a tragedy Marie

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my great grandfather fought & was killed in WW1. He enlisted for a very noble reason that was simply to feed his family. The same reason my grandfather joined the British army in WW2 for a wage.

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MY GRANDFATHERS 2 BROTHERS DIED IN THE WWW 1 I AM IMMENSELY PROUD OF THEM THE REASONS R NOT IMPORTANT TODAY AND IT IS HIGH BLOODY TIME THEY WERE ALL HONOURED PROPERLY VINCENT

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it is obsene to commemorate people who fought for the same british army in europe that unleashed the terrorist black n tans on civilians here. Denis

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We should never forget the men and women who gave their lives for us so that we can live in peace and free from tyranny. Lest we forget. We will remember them. Brian. Limerick.

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To say that a large number of ira men had experience from the british army is simply untrue. Fact is that the ira distrusted ex british soldiers hugely

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As always when IRISH WERE FORCED,ENCOURAGED, TRICKED INTO WAR/FIGHTING IT WAS A FORM OF CULL. Land, and power was the prize. People who were responsible for this use it as a stick (cant cull nowadays cept finincially and phychologically) to furthur "punish" d Irish as part o present policy. As irish Euro-who voted no- am proud o my late Granduncle who fought in Gallopoli. Since then our Wild Geese hav fought undr other banners. Frm Flandrs Fields

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Ireland during WW1 was happy for the war as Ireland was busy supplying Britain with its meat, vegetables, wool etc and money was going into Ireland then. What changed peoples views was the way the rising was handled in 1916. A Co. Louth viewer.

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Whatever about whether or not we should celebrate poppie day, can we at least wait until November 11th. I'm tired of the west brit's wearing them since nov 1st. And you can tell the trinity anglofile that republicans joined ww1 to learn their craft and turn it against the brit's. They had the brit's finance their training. Patrick in Carrickmines.

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Hitler was stopped from taking over the world. How was that in vain?

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I am watching the discussion about poppy day. I think glorifying war, or the waste of a whole slaughtered generation, in the first world war,or in this year in afghanistan for example, or anywhere else, is obscene. imperialism then, as now, is ultimately about the lives and well being of ordinary people being sacrificed to the power-hungry goals of politicians, monarchs and the arms industry. It is always the same con. It is time to stop making any war out to be a glorious thing. How sad, what proof of failure of the human race, that we still even have armies. That we still can sell mass murder to each other and call it noble. Its all just a heartbreaking waste. Anne

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Armistice Day was commemorated with parades in Kerry, and I dare say in other counties, all through the 20s. This became less acceptable as nationalist Ireland took political control. Peter Malone Dingle

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The irish who fought in both world wars did so to feed their families My grandfather was in the RAF got wounded and was well rewarded by british. Noel

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At at the end of the day we should not forget our fallen dead many who for economic reasons . Ie to feed there familys went to war and died so there loved ones could live and try escape poverty . Des mooney

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Politians lying to the people in 1914 would the get away with it today.No change and people still DIE. John Horgan

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wearing a poppy should perhaps be a mauer of choice. I woujdn't, I'd rather see Irish people wear lillies at Easter commemorating 1916. Sean N Dublin.

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remember patriots, not colonial cannon fodder

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Redmond did'nt have Morning Ireland and Vincent Browne to keep him up to date on what was going on but had to depend on His Majesty's government for information. He was conned and got it wrong but he was a sincere and honourable man. 50,000 Irish men paid a terrible price for his error. Liam O'R

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It was not only Redmond who, allegedly, duped the people. Lets not forget the anarchistic, minority of the minority(ie. Pearse and the underhanded IRB), who hijacked the volunteer movement in 1916 and sent countless young men to their deaths in an unwanted and unpopular rebellion. Tom, Rathfarnham.

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the men joined up for money not for love of English. Army was a means to an end to support their families. Died with money in their pockets Gay, swords