Revisionist line on role of RIC challenged

YOUR columnist Ryle Dwyer, in recalling the shooting of two RIC men at Soloheadbeg in 1919 (Irish Examiner, December 12), hints at revisionist line of thinking whereby the RIC are elevated almost to the status of martyrs while the IRA are villains.

The RIC had been called on to surrender and had instead raised their rifles in response. As Dan Breen said: “It was their lives or ours” - and they had been given a chance.

It is true - as Ryle quotes Sean Moylan saying - that the RIC were not widely unpopular prior to 1916. Up to that time the force was one of a limited number of career opportunities open to Irishmen.