FF veteran believed it was right to honour Ireland’s World War 1 victims

IRISH people who find it difficult properly to recognise and honour Irish soldiers who died in khaki uniforms in the First World War should know that Tommy Mullins, a founder member of Fianna Fáil who organised the first cumann meeting a month before the party was formed into a national movement in April 1926, and served as party general secretary until he retired in 1970, solemnly believed all those who fought and died in the Great War should be remembered and properly honoured.

Tommy Mullins, whom I got to know as a Dáil deputy, did not have a lot in common with me but he likened the Irish soldiers who volunteered for service in the First World War with the American soldiers who fought and died in that awful conflict

He argued if it was wrong for Irish soldiers to go to war, it was wrong for American soldiers to go and he could not accept this criticism because he knew it to be very wrong. Like the Irish soldiers, the Americans fought on the side of democracy against dictatorship. Tommy Mullins was born in New York, but grew up in west Cork under the influence of Michael Collins. He was active during the War of Independence, took the anti-treaty side in the Civil War and preached republicanism all his life.

He was almost as powerful in Fianna Fáil as de Valera and Lemass. Being closer to the history of the war all three were better able to judge how understandable but extremely wrong it was not to have Irish soldiers properly remembered.

It is very proper and correct for Irish people of this generation to remember them all.

Paddy Harte

The Diamond

Raphoe

Co Donegal