President should not have honoured British on the anniversary of 1916

What extraordinary times we live in. On April 24, the anniversary of the outbreak of the 1916 Rising, Michael D Higgins, the President of the Irish Republic, who occupies his office as a direct result of that pivotal event in our history, was busy in far off Turkey remembering members of the British army — the sworn enemies of those who fought for Irish freedom.

The same army that levelled our capital city with incendiary shellfire, oblivious to the welfare of citizens — men women and children alike.

The same army that executed 16 Irish citizens. The same army that had within its ranks an officer who executed pacifist Francis Sheehy -Skeffington and two innocent journalists in Portobello Barracks, having earlier shot a 15-year-old boy in the head.

The same army that carried out the dawn executions of the leaders of the Rising, one a wounded prisoner unable to stand to face his executioners, and then shipped rank-and-file volunteers to English prisons in cattle ships.

And, on this day of all days, the holder of the highest office in Ireland stood shoulder to shoulder with those who remember one of the most infamous disasters in British Imperial history and in the company of the titular head of the Parachute Regiment — remember them, anybody?

Not in my name, I have to say.

Rory O’Callaghan

1 Mc Dowell Avenue

Ceannt Fort

Kilmainham

Dublin 8