Human remains find - Remember war is futile

The uncovering of partial human remains in the Wicklow mountains is a grim reminder of the futility of war. The Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains has been searching the area for the body of Danny McIlhone, a 19-year-old from Belfast who was murdered by the IRA in 1981.

Yesterday, the 90th anniversary of the end of the Great War was commemorated. The war is probably remembered best for the mindless slaughter, with ordinary soldiers sacrificed with contemptible indifference.

Young men were called to fight for great ideals, but those ideals were then shamelessly betrayed. The war to end all wars ended up leading to the second world war.

The commission was set up to locate the remains of nine people murdered by the IRA. These disappeared are a grim reminder of the futility of armed conflict. People must still learn to co-operate with each other, but this is made all the more difficult by the trauma of the troubles.