Irish Examiner letters: Frank Ryan and the Spanish Civil War

The Irishman did not work with any other Irish republicans in Berlin

Republican troops of the International Brigades with a Renault FT tank during the Spanish Civil War, Spain, February 1937. Picture: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty

I agree that The International Brigades by Giles Tremlett, described by reviewer David Kernek as a “meticulous, massively detailed history” — ‘Sinners and saints’ ( Irish Examiner, Books, February 13) — is a superb history of the Spanish Civil War.

It is when Tremlett’s epilogue superficially addresses the question of Frank Ryan’s role in wartime Germany that he goes astray. The review quotes him as writing that Ryan “seems to have worked with other Irish republicans who thought the war — that’s WW2 — offered a unique opportunity to bring about the reunification of Ireland, especially if Hitler should invade Britain”, suggesting that de Valera regarded Ryan himself as a threat to Irish neutrality.

But Ryan did not work with any other Irish republicans in Berlin.

The one Irish republican for whose benefit he did in fact work was de Valera himself.

In his letters to the Irish minister in Madrid, Ryan pledged his own total support for de Valera’s policy of wartime neutrality, and reported on how he had advised the Germans of the State’s determined adherence to that policy, speaking out against any German actions that might undermine the Irish government.

In his 1979/80 Old Limerick Journal series on Ryan, the distinguished journalist and biographer Michael McInerney also recalled a 1975 interview with de Valera where he referred to Ryan as “this great Irishman” who “always put Ireland first in everything he did or said, at home or abroad. He has earned his place in history”.

In his review of In Spanish Trenches by Barry McLoughlin and Emmet O’Connor (Irish Examiner, Books, February 13) reviewer Brendan Daly concludes that it is “unarguably the definitive account of the Irish in the International Brigades”. Indeed it is, from start to finish. Of its epilogue he writes: “The authors conclude that Ryan supported de Valera’s neutrality policy and that Ryan was ‘an advisor to German foreign office experts’ rather than a collaborator.”

I very much welcome the fact that both books were reviewed in the same issue of the Irish Examiner.

Manus O’Riordan

Ireland Secretary,

International Brigade Memorial Trust

Finglas Road, Dublin 11

Decimalisation day

50 years on, I still clearly remember decimalisation even though I was only in second class.

I can vividly recall the old sixpence equal two-and-a-half new pence equation, the 10 bob being replaced with a queer-looking, multi-sided coin and a new 10 pence piece for the old two shillings.

I can still see and feel the cardboard cutouts we got of the new coins.

John Williams

Clonmel

Co Tipperary

EU must account for its actions

The defence of the EU offered by Anthony Leavy — ‘EU membership very good for us’ (Irish Examiner, Letters, February 11) highlights the problem we have in this country with the EU.

In invoking Article 16 mere weeks after claiming that it would resist a hard border on the island of Ireland, the EU not only acted with extreme hypocrisy and self-centredness, but it also showed exactly what it thought of this country.

For years the EU used Ireland as a tool to provide it with leverage in its battle with Britain.

With Brexit concluded, we ceased to be useful in that regard and that was reflected in the EU’s invoking of Article 16.

Yet in the face of such undeniable evidence, some people refused to even contemplate criticising the EU and its behaviour.

Instead, zealous ideologues blindly defend the indefensible and criticise those who dare highlight questionable behaviour by an organisation that has gained ever more control over our daily lives, with nothing but a veneer of democracy.

If the EU is to improve itself and the lives of citizens in the member countries, it must be held to account for its actions.

For that to happen, people must take off the blue-tinted glasses and judge the EU by the same standards as other aspiring global superpowers.

Stifling criticism of your favourite club is OK for sporting banter, but is not healthy when it comes to serious political matters.

Simon O’Connor

Crumlin

Dublin 12

All equal from womb to tomb

“Ridiculous” is the only word that comes close to describing Cork city Lord Mayor Joe Kavanagh’s public profession of regret for using the phrase “all lives matter” at last week’s online commemoration of Frederick Douglass — the noted anti-slavery campaigner, who visited Cork in 1845.

By using the words “all lives matter” instead of the politically charged “Black Lives Matter” our Lord Mayor had inadvertently highlighted the obvious; our common humanity, that we are all equally human from womb to tomb.

He had opened up a conversation, that the more ideologically enslaved are determined to shut down.

Either every life matters or no life matters; only those embracing a particular ideological outlook matter.

To emphasise one group’s grievance to the exclusion of others, quickly turns into censorship, the surfing of public outrage by those who make a career from exploiting adversarial politics, and ultimately the justification of further violence.

History is replete with examples of formerly oppressed groups and those who claim to be their champions, using this hurt to justify their own human rights abuses.

It is important that we do not allow our truth, empathy, and common sense, to be expunged from the public space.

Rather in the spirit of Frederick Douglass, let us ask: Whose are the voices in today’s world that go unheard? Who and what structures, assumptions, and views are never, ever challenged?

Gearóid Duffy

Lee Road

Cork

ASTI advocating on behalf of students

I wish to respond to Aodán McCaul’s letter: ‘This is the tail wagging the dog’ ( Irish Examiner, February 13).

The Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) teachers did not refuse to go back to work after the Christmas holidays.

Nphet and the Government took the decision for schools to remain physically closed but teachers are still teaching their classes remotely.

Contrary to the sentiment expressed, ASTI’s withdrawal from recent talks has absolutely nothing to do with money and is not connected to our members’ recent rejection of the public service pay agreement.

Our union members have rejected all national pay agreements that have not addressed pay inequality since 2012. In 2020, ASTI members entered into the calculated grades process, were willing to come into schools teaching for two weeks in July when the exams were originally deferred and worked extra days in June to complete the calculated grades process without ever seeking additional payment.

Many teachers have been using their own laptops and broadband throughout the remote learning periods without ever seeking any additional payment.

Currently, the ASTI is seeking an examination as close as possible to the traditional Leaving Certificate.

We recognise the anxiety being experienced by students due to the loss of face-to-face teaching time.

Therefore, we are requesting the State Examinations Commission (SEC) prepare modified papers with additional choice of questions to reflect the situation we find ourselves in.

Due to school closures last year, schools do not have results data from fifth-year summer exams or mock exams this year which could make any calculated grades process for the current cohort more subjective.

We are advocating on behalf of our students not against them.

Kevin Wall

ASTI Member

Vice-chairman

Cork South Paddy Mulcahy Branch

Helmet protection for rugby players

In view of the clash of heads between Cian Healy and Ian Henderson in the Ireland v France match, not to mention growing concern about head injuries is it not time that someone designed a helmet for rugby players?

Maybe not one of the heavy helmets worn in American football but how about one designed as follows: Imagine two swimming caps with two inches of foam rubber in between. This would protect both players in a clash of heads

.

Brendan Casserly

Bishopstown

Cork

Saddened by Collins’s column

I was disappointed and surprised to learn from Richard Collins’s column that he allows his domestic cat to wander freely (‘Only the fittest survive, and they are mice’, Irish Examiner, February 15).

Surely he is aware of how destructive cats are to songbirds.

I would have thought anyone interested in bird conservation would refrain from owning a cat or else confine it to a premises.

John Caulfield

Montenotte

Cork