British poppy: should the Irish commemorate people who fought for the British Empire?

My name is URL

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

No, why would I want to commemorate that murderous, imperialistic scum?


Easter Lily for me.

To commemorate the murderous anti-imperialist scum.

I'm going to pin a goldfish to my collar in commemoration of how utterly absurd wearing any flower is =p

LondonIrish90

No (I'm British/not Irish)

passarellaie wrote: »

As some posters have said most of the Irish who served in the "British" army in world war 1 has no choice let their families starve or join up.This is emphasized today when i see West Dumbartonshire MP Ms Doyle is going to the "Falklands/Malvinas because no less than 17000 of her constituents work in the "British" Defence forces.This shows how the peripheral parts of the "Union" are still kept in poverty to ensure they serve her majestys forces.
So i reckon this debate will be going on in Scotland soon after Salmond acheives independence

What in god's name are the British Defence Forces?

This old topic again, same old faces, same old comments. And we are still over a week away from November - the obsession grows by the year!

Anyway, I'm sure I said this last year but why the hell would you care what people want to do? If people wear a poppy it must mean something to them. If that was the case then you have no right to question their decision. Don't wear one yourself or wear a lily instead if you wish, thats about as far as this topic should go.

Same old derision, same old begrudgers (wolfe tone just got his opening insult in early i see). Its not a case of asking them to move forwards, its more about asking them to stop moving back.

Wolfe Tone

My name is URL wrote: »

To commemorate the murderous anti-imperialist scum.

I'm going to pin a goldfish to my collar in commemoration of how utterly absurd wearing any flower is =p

Poor goldfish

jugger0

The British army fought in Ireland against the Irish... im sorry but any Irish person who wears the poppy is an embarrassment.

As for the WW1 thing, we were used as cannon fodder by our worst enemy, the British empire, against the Germans who if i remember correctly had never invaded or occupied our country.

K-9

I like the idea of a National Heroes day, as long as AH doesn't decide, nobody would earn it.

John Hume would surely be the first through without a naysayer and begrudger.

ejmaztec

jugger0 wrote: »

The British army fought in Ireland against the Irish... im sorry but any Irish person who wears the poppy is an embarrassment.

As for the WW1 thing, we were used as cannon fodder by our worst enemy, the British empire, against the Germans who if i remember correctly had never invaded or occupied our country.

Not until 2010 anyway.:(

Micky Dolenz

charlemont wrote: »

Your knowledge of history is outstanding.

Thanks. I'd like to think so.

OPENROAD

K-9 wrote: »

I like the idea of a National Heroes day, as long as AH doesn't decide, nobody would earn it.

John Hume would surely be the first through without a naysayer and begrudger.

eh???

Seriously !!!! Can't believe you even said that.......AH come on !!!!!! seriously !!!!

kowloon

Kranium wrote: »

I dont like the idea of contestants on Xfactor having to wear them

Should be forced to wear a pork chop in honour of their tradition of butchering music.

Armin_Tamzarian

FetchTheGin wrote: »

I would rather not commemorate an empire responsible for the destruction of my country

Nobody is asking you to commemorate Fianna Fáil.

hangon

No (I'm Irish)

Armin_Tamzarian wrote: »

Nobody is asking you to commemorate Fianna Fáil.

Can you buy Poppies in the shape of a Tiger?

drumaneen

No (I'm Irish)

hangon wrote: »

Can you buy Poppies in the shape of a Tiger?

I don't think so but you can as a shamrock

arybvtcw0eolkf

No (I'm Irish)

jugger0 wrote: »

The British army fought in Ireland against the Irish... im sorry but any Irish person who wears the poppy is an embarrassment.

And I and my comrades have served alongside them in Beirut, Bosnia, Kosova, Afghanistan, Kuwait to name but a few.

My grandfather fought with the 9th Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusillers in WWI.

In the last 10 years I'm also an SF voter and I'm voting MMG number one in the presidental elections.

I've worn a poppy, and I won't shy away from people like you should I decide to wear one again.

Armin_Tamzarian

Stefan Weak Paw wrote: »

And I and my comrades have served alongside them in Beirut, Bosnia, Kosova, Afghanistan, Kuwait to name but a few.

Have Irish soldiers served in Afghanistan and Kuwait?

flanum

its not over yet lads... the nazis are in space.. get ready...iron sky!!

policarp

No (I'm Irish)

The Poppy is mainly for WW1 and WW2 veterans.
Help for Heroes is for Iraq and Afghanistan wounded or dead.
So poppy collections are of benefit to the older soldiers AFAIK.

A Dub in Glasgo

^^ That is not true. The red poppy is for all members of the British Armed Forces

http://www.poppy.org.uk/

A Dub in Glasgo

Duplicate

philologos

No (I'm Irish)

This question is a little loaded. I voted yes, but the reason why I will be wearing it if I get a chance will be to commemorate the war dead in general rather than those of a particular country.

arybvtcw0eolkf

No (I'm Irish)

Armin_Tamzarian wrote: »

Have Irish soldiers served in Afghanistan and Kuwait?

Yes, and we still have a very small detachment serving in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Armin_Tamzarian

Stefan Weak Paw wrote: »

Yes, and we still have a very small detachment serving in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Well, that's a new one to me.
I find it surprising though, how does that fit in with Ireland's supposed neutrality?

drumaneen

No (I'm Irish)

philologos wrote: »

..... I will be wearing it if I get a chance .....

If you don't see a street seller you can call in to the RBL ROI office at 26 South Frederick Street, Dublin 2 who will be glad to help.

ALSO BY POST:The nice peeps at the Limerick RBL will post you poppies for the cost of the postage and any donation to the Irish Poppy Appeal using their PayPal facility.

getz

No (I'm British/not Irish)

jugger0 wrote: »

The British army fought in Ireland against the Irish... im sorry but any Irish person who wears the poppy is an embarrassment.

As for the WW1 thing, we were used as cannon fodder by our worst enemy, the British empire, against the Germans who if i remember correctly had never invaded or occupied our country.

in the words of the irish national anthem , saxon foe,just what have the germans done to you ?if that is what you think of your friends,god help your enemies,i will have on my canadian poppy ,

ash23

I voted no but only because of the word "should".
I have no issue with someone wanting to wear one.

However, I think the in the UK, particularly the media, it's expected that someone would wear one. If someone chooses not to wear one it should be respected as much as if someone chooses to wear one.

But I do think that the British take someone not wearing a poppy as an "up yours" and it can evoke a lot of negative reactions.
I doubt any Irish person would notice if dem on de telly weren't wearing shamrock on Paddys day.

getz

No (I'm British/not Irish)

ash23 wrote: »

I voted no but only because of the word "should".
I have no issue with someone wanting to wear one.

However, I think the in the UK, particularly the media, it's expected that someone would wear one. If someone chooses not to wear one it should be respected as much as if someone chooses to wear one.

But I do think that the British take someone not wearing a poppy as an "up yours" and it can evoke a lot of negative reactions.
I doubt any Irish person would notice if dem on de telly weren't wearing shamrock on Paddys day.

its not only the UK that wears the poppy to commemerate their dead,many commonwealth countries,as well as the USA,use it.only those who know no better believe that people in the UK are expected to wear one,most young people do not bother simply because they do not feel any connection to WW1 and WW11,as i noticed last year only one in five had one on,i could suggest not to read and believe the english newspaper crap, the general trend is that if you are in the media/TV ect it doesent do any harm to show compassion for that countries dead,it doesent mean that they believe it.

Tiocfaidh Armani

getz wrote: »

its not only the UK that wears the poppy to commemerate their dead,many commonwealth countries,as well as the USA,use it.

Eh, the USA don't wear poppies, where did you read this?

ash23

getz wrote: »

its not only the UK that wears the poppy to commemerate their dead,many commonwealth countries,as well as the USA,use it.only those who know no better believe that people in the UK are expected to wear one,most young people do not bother simply because they do not feel any connection to WW1 and WW11,as i noticed last year only one in five had one on,i could suggest not to read and believe the english newspaper crap, the general trend is that if you are in the media/TV ect it doesent do any harm to show compassion for that countries dead,it doesent mean that they believe it.

My problem is more with the furore when someone opts out.
There have been a number of people who have expressed the pressure they were put under to wear one, particularly those in the media.
It doesn't bother me a bit if someone wants to wear one. But nobody should be pressured into wearing one. And the issues if they don't.

If someone wants to wear it, let them. If they don't, there shouldn't be a fuss made of that either.

Tiocfaidh Armani

All this talk of honouring another countries dead, a country we have a bit of a past with and there’s a shockingly low amount of people who wear the lily to honour the men and women of 1916. Maybe we should honour our own first before we think of honouring a nations dead that denied us our own freedom while fighting to preserve their own empire.

Judgement Day

Niles wrote: »

Neither would I, it's the individual Irish people who fought that I think should be the focus of the commemoration. If that's the case then I have no problem.



Not necessarily, it's not as though the British used Irish regiments during Easter 1916.

According to Ireland's Unknown Soldiers by Terence Denman, reserve battalions from the 3rd Royal Irish Regiment, 3rd Royal Irish Rifles, 4th, 5th & 10th Dublin Fusiliers and 5th Leinsters were involved in the early days of the fighting in Dublin and 35 men from Irish regiments died during the Rising.

Anyway, the whole topic is nonsensical, we will all continue to commemorate our own traditions regardless of attempted media hijacking of the events.

drumaneen

No (I'm Irish)

In 1918 French YMCA Secretary, Madame Guerin, first introduced the idea of selling red silk poppies to raise money for those affected by war. This was taken up by the UK, USA and many Commonwealth countries (an ALLIED symbol might be more accurate description).
For example, the first shipment of poppies to Australia was in 1921, they were made by war widows and orphans from some of the most devastated regions of France. and poppies are still sold there - see http://www.facebook.com/pages/Poppy-Appeal-Australia-111111-likes-by-111111/258976677458098?sk=wall if you don't believe me.
The Poppy is NOT, repeat NOT a political symbol. It is not affiliated to any State.
The Poppy is about the loss, the very people, the sacrifice upon which the democratic Europe we Irish enjoy today is founded. Ireland contributed in full measure with the blood of our own men or sons of our men in many Allied uniforms. That any person would want to spit on this symbol (an earlier comment) turns my blood cold and I want to cower in shame that the people of the world can read such comments that are made here year after year.
Irish people have a debt of honour both to the men who fought to establish the Republic AND to the 60,000 of their countrymen who fell in the world wars - even the Queen of England acknowledges this. I plead with you to wear your Lily at Easter and wear the Poppy now - wear it proudly - let us honour our debts to a generation of brave Irish boys by remembering those who fell and caring for those who survived and their families.