Wrong uniform, wrong place, wrong time

I do not agree with Tom Cooper (Letters, Sep 2) in that he immediately describes the proposed church service organised by former Garda Gerry Lovett for those RIC members killed during the War of Independence – as an attempt to legitimise the actions of the Auxiliaries and Black and Tans.

Mr Cooper maintains that it is impossible to differentiate between ordinary RIC members and members of the aforementioned forces — or to commemorate one without commemorating the other. However, even the Anglo Irish Treaty of 1921 made that differentiation.

In Article 10 it states: The Government of the Irish Free State agrees to pay fair compensation ... to judges, officials, members of police forces and other public servants who are discharged by it, or who retire in consequence of the change of Government effected in pursuance hereof.