Concert insult to the ‘men who died twice’

YOU reported (October 10) how Cork’s Lord Mayor Brian Bermingham announced details of a concert in City Hall on November 8 “to honour the memories of the estimated 2,600 Corkmen who died in the First World War. Patrons have been invited to attend in period dress and compere Michael Twomey will conduct proceedings in the style of Leonard Sachs who hosted The Good Old Days”.

Is it appropriate to remember the dead with a fancy dress concert? Am I alone in finding the idea repulsive?

The Irish who died in the First World War died twice. They died physically and the reason they fought also died with them because it was based on a lie — ‘the freedom of small nations.’ They were killed and their ideals were betrayed by the government they fought for.

What Cork and Ireland got when they actually expressed their desire for freedom was the Black and Tans and the Auxiliaries. The latter were all veterans of the First World War and, among many other things, they burned down the venue of this concert, Cork City Hall, and a large part of the city.

One wonders how the 2,600 Cork dead will be represented in fancy dress. Will we have people dressed up as skeletons or corpses to join in the fun? That would seem a suitable way to complete this sick event. Will there be a thought for the approximately 10 million others who were killed in that war, and why they were killed?

Jack Lane

Aubane

Millstreet

Co Cork