In war no one has monopoly of virtue

Sir — I am saddened by the wave of anti-RIC/DMP rhetoric that has dominated in recent days, causing a well-meaning government to panic and do a U-turn on the planned ceremony in Dublin Castle. Over half way through the (so-called) “Decade of Commemoration”, I was pleased to see that all participants in the historic events of a century ago were being commemorated by the State — including the 116 British soldiers killed suppressing the Easter Rising in Dublin. But the RIC and DMP men killed in the same period are still to be banished from the historical narrative. One wonders how are we going to commemorate the 80 or so summary executions carried out by the Free State government in 1922/23.

We have heard and read much in recent days about the undoubted crimes of many in the RIC, but little of the 525 policemen who were slaughtered in the period 1919 to 1922, many in the most appalling circumstances.

The IRA men who confronted lorry-loads of Tans or Auxiliaries were certainly courageous — they were confronting World War I veterans who knew how to fight back. But let’s be honest, many of the IRA killings were grubby little murders of unarmed policemen shot down while attending or leaving church, visiting pubs and shops or out strolling with their wives, girlfriends or children.

In wars and especially civil wars, whether we like it or not, it is a sad but true fact that neither side has a monopoly of virtue, and atrocities are practically inevitable.

As George Orwell said:

“The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.”

Gerard Lovett,

Dublin 16