Irish voters 'hostile' to poppy symbol

Choochtown

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952512#Comment_123952512

"the British Legion has undertaken to spend all funds raised in the Republic of Ireland within the Republic of Ireland"

I find that very hard to believe.

Have you a link or a source for that?

All I could find was the amount raised. Around about a quarter of a million!

What would they spend that on? War memorials? Or maybe there's a few of the scum that mowed down innocent people in the North that are seeing out their retirement in a peaceful Irish village and looking forward to a nice wee bit of extra spending money every November?

Cyclingtourist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953222#Comment_123953222

Sorry, classical literature not my thing.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953236#Comment_123953236

Unwittingly exposing your true nature is clearly all consuming.

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953194#Comment_123953194

The only the UK seeks to protect is its own sense of importance, its fortress Britain mentality. It went against a lot its NATO allies by following the US into Iraq without a UN mandate. The British stance on all treaties and pacts is that they are non binding. The only reason the GFA hasn't been scuttled is that since Thatcher successive administrations have wanted to offload its first imperial colony.

Reform are a English first movement and are most likely to hasten the final dissolution of the UK.

Ozymandius2011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953230#Comment_123953230

For centuries Irishmen were a considerable part of the British army, following orders many of them will not have personally agreed with. Many were forced by poverty and hunger to do this. Should we not commemorate them?

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953059#Comment_123953059

I don't understand why this is triggering you this way. It was about remembrance once upon a time before the right turned it into something tawdry and ugly.

I never understood this sycophantic attitude some people have towards the Brits. I remember one poster who used to go on and on about how we should be thanking them for lending us money.

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953366#Comment_123953366

Every year they are honoured in the garden of remembrance.

Too much consumption of English media has many Irish overlook this.

Australia have their own remembrance day separate to the UK.

We have more to commemorate with the likes of india who suffered British made famines. Indians were also used by the British to do their bidding in other parts of the empire.

Divide and conquer is coming home to England.

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953200#Comment_123953200

I don't expect an occupation, they're been trying to extract themselves from NI for decades, but were already being attacked by British funded misinformation campaigns during the brexit negotiations. It mostly stopped once the ink was dry.

Now the racism unleashed by brexit is spilling over in Ireland and that's were we are most vulnerable.

Investment in prison spaces is needed too.

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953366#Comment_123953366

They are all dead now, so no, we shouldn't be buying a poppy now.

And any Irish born person who now decides to join the BA, no I dont think we should commemorate them now or in the future.

Ozymandius2011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953419#Comment_123953419

I wouldn't wear a poppy. But I dont think we should begrudge people doing so in Britain. There is massive societal, corporate and Establishment pressure to wear it.

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953427#Comment_123953427

I have no issue with British people in the UK wearing a poppy. Each to their own.

But it wasn't a big thing right up until about 10 or 15 years ag, then it exploded. Not sure who was behind it, but they did a great job, where it is now almost compulsory on tv, football etc.

And those who make the conscious decision NOT to wear a poppy are verbally attacked and singled out. Just check out the annual sh1t show around James McClean.

Fann Linn

The likes of Soldier F will be wearing a Poppy. I'll give it a miss, thanks.

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953442#Comment_123953442

After the UK government spent £4mill of taxpayers money defending him in court.

Ozymandius2011

I think its fair to remember those who defeated Hitler, whether British, American or Soviet - or indeed Irish fighting in allied armies. The way some of them were treated when they returned to Ireland was disgraceful e.g. denied military pensions if they had previously been soldiers in the Irish army. Former TV presenter Cathal O'Shannon was in the RAF in WW2 and spoke of his resentment about the treatment by the State when he returned home.

exiledawaynothere

I wear a poppy to commemorate members of my family who were killed fighting in world wars I and II. WWII was a good cause, but WWI was questionable and the Treaty of Versailles was an abomination. I fully respect why people do not want to wear one and I think the treatment of James McClean has been awful.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953434#Comment_123953434

And those who make the conscious decision NOT to wear a poppy are verbally attacked and singled out. Just check out the annual sh1t show around James McClean.

Yep.

'They fought for your freedom'….but really it's only their version of freedom, conform or else!.

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953427#Comment_123953427

Exactly, it's a UK thing. The ozzies and kiwis have their own separate commemoration and they don't get bent out shape that we or the British observe it.

It's only fgers with sashes in their attics who think we should commemorate British soldiers.

kazamo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953450#Comment_123953450

Being denied pensions was more common and was right across the board.

My grandfather was a peace commissioner and was kept busy with the number of people who were denied pensions for all sorts of reasons. It required many letters sent and trips to Dublin at his own expense to get people what they deserved.

The State doesn’t like parting with money, and many decades later, that attitude prevails.

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953462#Comment_123953462

James McClean could move back to N. Ireland and stop taking the Kings schilling if he does not like living in England

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/5432007/james-mcclean-ira-balaclava-ireland/

Derry was a key naval base in the Battle of the Atlantic, and at least 25,000 to 30,000 military personnel were stationed in Derry at any given time during World War II. Some of them gave their lives so he can make a living playing football in the UK.

breezy1985

Is it that time of year again already.

Lest we forget.

Choochtown

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953366#Comment_123953366

€250,000 used to "commemorate" the British Army?

Are you for real? Of course I don't think we should commemorate them.

Maybe there should be a whip round in Gaza to commemorate the brave fallen of the IDF?

Choochtown

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953551#Comment_123953551

Last time I looked the "Kings schilling" was the currency in Derry where James is from.

"Some of them gave their lives so he can make a living playing football in the UK" 🤣

James is a role model. An honest generous and principled man.

csirl

The poppy thing has lost its original meaning - which was to remember the WWI dead. It should not have been appropriated for other conflicts.

Also, the famiies of Irish born soldiers who died in WWI never saw a penny from the poppy appeals or the British government. Widows pensions were never paid and existing earned pensions via service (for those who were full time soldiers from before WWI) were not honoured post WWI. Their families were left destitute.

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953551#Comment_123953551

A terrible argument that is rolled out every year as well by stupid people.

Its not the Kings shilling hes taking, it's currently Wrexham FCs, or more precisely, that of 2 Hollywood millionaires.

Not a very good argument that is you dont agree with the actions of the BA murdering innocent people, that you can't live and work in the UK. Pretty national school thinking there.

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953603#Comment_123953603

Wrong. Pensions were granted for servicemen who served in the First World War and relatives were able to claim even if the serviceman died from a war related injury many years after the end of the war. Here in Ireland, since the money was raised locally, the RBL confirmed in the past that the funds raised in the Republic of Ireland stayed in Ireland to support Irish ex-servicemen and their families.

Over 66,000 people from the Republic served in British armed forces in WW2 : that would not have happened if the British forces did not treat people from both islands equally / fairly.

almostover

It's a strange topic for an Irish discussion forum this. I don't wear a Poppy and have zero intention to. I don't wear an Easter Lily either, not a big fan of wearing political symbols. Which both are.

But if people in the UK want to wear a Poppy, let them at it. It's a strange custom but each to their own. And I applaud the stance James McLean has taken on it, if he doesn't want to wear one he shouldn't have to. The UK is a free country after all. Similarly if I saw an Irish person in Ireland wearing one I wouldn't care one jot, that applies to the Poppy or an Easter Lily.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953642#Comment_123953642

That kind of talk is very insulting to all my English friends who also hate the British army and poppy fascism. I suppose they should fuk off back to where they came from too 🤔

Choochtown

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953652#Comment_123953652

"the RBL confirmed in the past that the funds raised in the Republic of Ireland stayed in Ireland to support Irish ex-servicemen and their families."

Have you a source or a link for that?

I would assume funds raised by a registered charity would be easily available for public scrutiny.

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953642#Comment_123953642

W can assume most of the people who pay admission at the gate to Wrexham FC are British, as the club is in Britain. Many if not most of whom had relatives who served at some stage in the British armed forces, either in WW1, WW2 or some other conflict. McClean is earning his money on mainland Britain. If he was a man of principle, he would choose to live in some other place. Every army in the world murdered innocent people at some stage or another. No army is perfect. Did any of the hundreds of thousands of military personnel who served in Derry or who passed through Derry in WW2 kill any innocent people in Derry, or anywhere else?

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123953674#Comment_123953674

The BA gunned down 13 innocent, unarmed people on the streets of Derry, and not a single person was ever held to account for the slaughter.

Monies paid for poppies support all ex BA members, not those of WW2, who are nearly all dead.

So you'll forgive me for not putting money into an organisation which supports murderers still very much alive today, unlike those innocent civilian rights marchers.