Irish Examiner view: The truce 100 years on

A man is searched at gunpoint by temporary constables of the British Black and Tans, during the  War of Independence. Picture: Getty Images

They say that the past is a different country, where they do things differently, but the reality is that it depends on perspective. For the past to be viewed at a distance with any understanding of its reality, it is important that we do so with knowledge and an appreciation of times and circumstances gone by.

That is why marking anniversaries of significant events is so important, especially when those events relate to a whole country and an entire nation. “Lest we forget” is a phrase commonly used in war remembrance services and commemorative occasions in English-speaking countries. It mainly refers to the First World War but it is a sentiment that could easily apply to our own battle for independence.