Irish were just cannon fodder for imperialists
Well, it is certainly time to change our thinking on this monstrous tragedy. The war had nothing to do with 'the freedom of small nations,' or any other kind of freedom.
To suggest that imperial Russia, France, England or 'poor little Catholic Belgium' the latter responsible for the extermination of 10 million natives in the Congo were fighting for other than their own imperial interests is ridiculous.
James Connolly was correct in stating that the war was caused by 'royal freebooters and metropolitan thieves' in the capitals of Europe who were prepared to slaughter their own working classes in a wretched squabble over power, trade and colonies.
John Redmond had no right effectively to declare war on behalf of the Irish people. He, the Irish Parliamentary Party, the jingo press and even church leaders who contributed to the war hysteria, bear the responsibilities for 200,000 Irishmen becoming canon fodder in the hands of grossly incompetent English generals.
The case of the boy soldier John Condon from Waterford is a special tragedy. His recruitment at the age of 14, and his use in active service, is a further damning indictment of the British army and its lackeys in Ireland.
The more one studies the Great War and the tragic loss of 50,000 Irish lives, the more one respects the 1916 leaders. Their sacrifice and deaths led to an almost total cessation of recruitment to the imperial war machine and resulted in a risen nation successfully resisting England's efforts to impose conscription in Ireland in 1918.
They, more than any others, are entitled to our admiration and respect.
Perhaps it is time to agree on one day and on an emblem to be worn to commemorate especially all those who struggled and died for Irish independence, and who set in train events that led to the disintegration of not just the British empire but all other empires, too. Not just we in Ireland, but humanity in general, are in their debt.
Pádraig Ó Cuanacháin,
Dún an Óir,
Sean Bóthar na hEochaille,
Corcaigh.
