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'The Irish Revolution' 1919-1923

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by Denerick (U13776066) on Saturday, 10th January 2009

  Is it fair to make the claim that Ireland underwent a revolution between 1919-1923 in every political sense?
  
  Our political system was based on the Dáil system and our revolution (As in, the first meeting of Dáil Eireann) took place in the Mansion House Dublin. The curious thing about this 'revolutionary' act was that the police (Those most detestable physical manifestations of the British State - at least to the TDs present!) guarded the Mansion House so as the affairs would not be disturbed!
  
  It is often said that us Irish are an extraordinary race of people. An Auxialary who served in Dublin during the often named 'Tan War' wrote in his memoirs about how he came face to face with an armed Irishman who intended to kill him. Staring him straight in the face, the Irishman said to him 'Ah sure your alright, I'll let ye go this time'.
  
  Few revolutions I think, have so many comical and slightly unbelievable stories to them. Whether it be Seán Mac Eoin telling his Flying Column to make sure the captured Major got a cup of tea, or Tom Barry pretending to be a drunken yob to escape a British checkpoint, or Michael Collins wrestingly constantly with his friends - and often with strangers (It seemed to him to be a good 'measure of a man') we had and continue to have a lot of characters.
  
  My only regret that the later manifestations of physical force republicanism never fought with the heart and character as their predecessors did. I don't sympathise with the IRA in the Troubles or anything, but I think we lost a lot of our great qualities which defined us a loose race of people.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by LairigGhru (U5452625) on Saturday, 10th January 2009

  And don't forget - they destroyed their own genealogical history by using the records in the Four Courts as barricades (this was in Dublin in 1922).

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by Denerick (U13776066) on Saturday, 10th January 2009

  I may be wrong, but I thought the records were accidently distroyed by a misfired shot from the howitzer they borrowed off Britain. No?

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