On a journey of remembrance

EUROPE between 1875 and 1914 was a period of great peace and prosperity. Prosperity was based on the marketing of iron, coal and steel as countries traded with each other. Diplomatic compromise was always found to settle disputes between the great powers but the fear that one of these great powers might use force, meant huge armies were raised in defence of what each country held. None of the countries had foreseen the scale of violence; all believed the war would end before Christmas 1914.
As we approach the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War in which as many as 10 million soldiers and five million people of all nations lost their lives, it would be most honourable to remember the dead of Ireland. It was a war to end all wars, initially seen as a European conflict between Germany and its allies on one side and Britain, Belgium and France on the other but soon became a world conflict between, on one side countries whose leaders believed in the system of democracy and countries whose leaders believed in the power of dictatorship; not very different to what is happening in Iraq and other places of world conflict in 2010.
History records that 1,935,000 Germans, 1,368,000 French, 1,700,000 Russians and 1,200,000 Austria/Hungary lost their lives but when it comes to Ireland, because the Island was part of the British Empire, the only casualty figure available is 942,135 from the entire empire.
War records also reveal that 330,000 Australians volunteered and 60,000 lost their lives; that 458,000 volunteers came from Canada and 57,000 did not get home.
The population of Ireland in 1914 was very similar to Australia and Canada, which strongly suggests because Ireland was nearer the conflict that it is not unreasonable to compare figures and that the death toll in Ireland was much greater than the Royal Irish Constabulary 1919 census, which revealed that 49,400 did not get home.
Missing in this search were the names of Irish born soldiers who had already left home who emigrated to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Britain.
It is known from Republican records compiled by Major General Joe Sweeney, reporting to Taoiseach Sean Lemass in 1964 on the happenings in Donegal prior to the 1916 Easter Rising, that in 1913 before the outbreak of war over 15,000 in Donegal had volunteered for service with the Republican movement. This figure was reduced to 1,200 after John Redmond MP, leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, asked for volunteers in 1914 to defend democracy in the trenches of France and Belgium to protect Home Rule in Ireland.
In fairness to all those who fought and died in that terrible conflict, mostly because of many less important issues, it has taken far too long for history to correctly tell the real story of what World War I was about.
As the rest of Europe gradually discovers the desperate struggle communities had in some Eastern European countries during the 20th century, as ordinary people campaigned against dictatorship and tyranny and in favour of greater democracy, this generation can gradually come to understand how important it was for Ireland not to have lost the First World War and it is only right that we should honour all those who fought and died in it.
What has been achieved in uniting all European countries within the European Union could not and would not have happened if the war had been lost to dictatorship and fascism. People who question why Irishmen and Irishwomen joined the ranks and volunteered for war should not be allowed to forgot the contribution these young men and young women made to help change the world this generation now enjoys.
Bearing in mind they were encouraged to join by leaders of church and State, lord mayors, mayors and chairmen of councils, that it was the largest army in history to leave our shores, that they did what they believed was right and that they joined with soldiers of many other countries in a movement not unlike now being part of the United Nations, it is my humble opinion that a Book of Honour in each county drafted on a town by town basis is a most appropriate way to remember all those who have been so long forgotten.
A Journey of Remembering plan visits in each of the years leading into centenary year of 2014 and would be glad to hear from bands and choirs from all parts of Ireland which may be interested in participating in the programme of remembering the 50,000 young men and young women who lie in for off fields, not as Protestants and Catholics but as Irishmen and Irishwomen who did not come home from war.

Paddy Harte is a former Fine Gael TD for Donegal and project director for A Journey of Remembering. For more information contact 074 91 45187 / 074 91 45200.