Comrades in arms had nothing in common

DURING his recent visit to a World War 1 memorial in Belgium, the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, said he wanted to “lay to rest the spectre of violence in Ireland” and, to this end, he was inspired by Irish warfare (against Germans, Austrians, Hungarians, Turks and others who never invaded, conquered, colonised or starved Ireland) in one of the most violent and bloody episodes the world has ever known.

Mr Ahern says the differences between Irish nationalists and unionists were “transcended by their higher, common purpose”.

The unionists went to war (against a country which a few months earlier had armed them in their revolt against the British parliament) for king and country, aka, the British empire at the height of its genocidal, world-conquering power. Nationalists joined the British army to defend the rights of small nations. Where was the common purpose in that? What was “higher” about it?