I believe space and time are underestimated by professed experts on Ireland’s history.
Between 1948 and 1959 I was 9 years at a Christian Brothers School in Sutton, a suburb of Dublin, and 2 years at Rockwell College, Co Tipperary, run by the Holy Ghost Fathers. Rockwell, founded in 1864, produced many republicans involved in the 1916 Rising, the Tan and Civil Wars, but I do not know of any ex-pupils of my vintage or since, who were involved with the IRA.
St Fintan’s, Sutton, was founded in 1943, and I know of none of its ex-pupils who were involved in the IRA. I could name quite a few of my contemporaries from both schools who served in the British, American and other foreign forces. I was an FCA member from 1957 to 1964 and must recall, sadly, that some of my comrades joined the British and other forces.And I served with some who had previously been regular soldiers in the British Forces. But I knew of none who joined the IRA.
I don’t believe that anyone who joined the IRA did so to avenge Drogheda, Limerick, the Great Hunger or the ‘Tan War. It seems that the closer they were in space and time to British rule, the more likely Irish men and Irish women were to take up arms or otherwise challenge it.
I remember in the 1970s being told by a young man from Newry of various of his classmates, killed, injured or imprisoned. And I refuse to believe that their political or militant activities arose from the 1966 Commemorations of the 1966 Rising or the Siege of Limerick, the Bridge of Athlone, the Onslaught on Ennis.
Unless, of course, I’m shown convincing evidence.
“I remember in the 1970s being told by a young man from Newry of various of his classmates, killed, injured or imprisoned. And I refuse to believe that their political or militant activities arose from the 1966 Commemorations of the 1966 Rising or the Siege of Limerick, the Bridge of Athlone, the Onslaught on Ennis.”
The truth is, apart from the rising, most people wouldn’t have known much about the others.
The 1966 Commemorations inspired people like Ian Paisley to revive militant unionism through the UVF, encouraging unionist mobs and the police forces who between them killed and bombed before anyone joined the IRA or there was any IRA activity. In fact it wasn’t until the british army became involved in killing innocent nationalists and martial law was declared on civilians before IRA membership really started to rise. By bloody Sunday British rule was no longer tolerable in the 6 counties, the camels back is broken.
No history exam was needed and the hatred towards the british was not inspired by past conflicts but what was happening in the here and now.
Anyone who claims the PIRA were about unification or revenge for past conflicts is simply wrong.
As I said, most were regular people with little history knowledge, but plenty of first hand experience of state oppression.
Once conflict starts, it takes on a life of its own with both sides losses making it harder to stop and driving the wedge deeper.
Anyone who thinks peace could have been simply called for and stopped overnight is a fool.
‘Anyone who claims the PIRA were about unification……is simply wrong.’
I think you do a disservice to those who risked their lives joining the republican movement by not contemplating they may have enlisted fo unification. After all provisional propaganda during the 80’s and 90’s at least, suggested that was the real reason volunteers were joining the IRA? Whilst mcguinness etc looked solemn at gravesides and uttered fine words in praise of those being buried, I never heard them say the campaign was about revenge, equality, etc?
“I think you do a disservice to those who risked their lives joining the republican movement by not contemplating they may have enlisted fo unification.”
Well WT, if you look at the circumstances in which they were formed. the Irish army had lined the border, thousands of people were displaced including members of my own family. Catholics were being burned out of their homes and loyalists were carrying out nightly gun attacks shooting into catholic estates mainly in Belfast.
The old IRA were being mocked with I Ran Away written on walls for not doing enough to stop the attacks which would happen under the noses of police and later army.
I am telling you, unification at that time was not on the minds of the people.
If you look at the accepted facts that swelled its membership, bloody Sunday for example. I would say most had revenge if you want to call it that or at least physical opposition to what was happening was at the forefront of their motivations.
As the conflict went on and escalated, unification became the obvious desire for those in the nationalist community who are looking at a peaceful southern state growing in prosperity while the north remains bogged down in sectarianism.
I would not dispute that many PIRA members want a united Ireland and fought for that reason. I feel suffocated by it and struggle to accept British rule so I understand it as much as anyone. I also understand that is a result of traumatic experiences so I don’t expect it to be the norm.
I do think that it was eventually accepted that it was unlikely to be possible through force of arms and they adapted.
There are those who like to portray the conflict as simply an IRA campaign to achieve unification which has failed.
I disagree with this and have posted my reasons many times. It is up to each individual whether they feel my comments are a disservice, but they remain my opinion which I believe is accurate to the best of my knowledge.
Which part do you disagree with WT?