Aiken the gunman had the decency to be ashamed of the dirty stuff

MUCH of the publicity for this week’s Hidden Ireland programme on Frank Aiken projected dark secrets of his past that were to be exposed.

He was apparently involved in the reprisal killing of six people in his home area of Co Armagh in 1922. In one way this showed him in a better light because he had the decency to be ashamed of what had happened.

Unfortunately, some foolish people tend to glorify war and ignore the fact that outrages are part of it. Having researched books on World War II, the War of Independence and the Civil War, I have found those who bragged most about their involvement usually did very little, while some of those who did most frequently said very little.