'The Haunting Soldier' sculpture vandalised

Whiplash85 · 25-11-2018 09:48PM

I simply don't get why we would commemorate a foreign army in a war that was not ours. The fact that many Irish people signed up is a moot point. In essence it glorifies it and gives a romanticism that is most undeserving and unedifying. There was so much propaganda back then and it's sad to see people cheerleading again.

The reasons as to why many Irish joined the ranks of the British army have subsequently being camouflaged and remain spurious. Certainly the rational that you would fight with an imperialist empire who rampaged through our country for years and wear the same uniform because you were hungry doesn't stack up. Why not just get the boat to America rather than the rat infested diseased trenches in Flanders. Above all else why kill another man for these spurious reasons when you have no skin in the game.

For all the cheerleaders who talk about toxic nationalism and SF mindsets I must refer you to the works of Frantz Fanon who spoke about fracturing the psyche of the colonized mind.

Whiplash85 · 25-11-2018 09:51PM

Kinley Microscopic Stirrup wrote: »

I'm just home from a very moving stand down ceremony and well I have to correct you, the Haunting Soldier is still there.

But do you know what wasn't?.. The cowards who attacked it with red paint or all the internet keyboard warriors who have been so vehement in their protest.

Although its dark now, and the crowds have gone. The cowards might crawl back from under their rocks and attack it one last time, yellow bellied bastards.

One thing is sure, the men from all sides whom this sculpture represents will be long remembered when these windbags have moved onto find something else to protest and attack like the cowards they are.

Glad to see there was hundreds in attendance.

That is the most vomit inducing $hite I have ever read. Keep drinking the Kul aid.

Dyr · 25-11-2018 10:42PM

Kinley Microscopic Stirrup wrote: »

I'm just home from a very moving stand down ceremony and well I have to correct you, the Haunting Soldier is still there.

But do you know what wasn't?.. The cowards who attacked it with red paint or all the internet keyboard warriors who have been so vehement in their protest.

Although its dark now, and the crowds have gone. The cowards might crawl back from under their rocks and attack it one last time, yellow bellied bastards.

One thing is sure, the men from all sides whom this sculpture represents will be long remembered when these windbags have moved onto find something else to protest and attack like the cowards they are.

Glad to see there was hundreds in attendance.

Here's an honest question: If you're into commemorating Irish men who who died senselessly during that period regardless of what side they were on: Have you ever visited the Ballyseedy Memorial? Has the Irish Army Band or any other representative of The Defence Forces?

It was vandalized a few years back, No front page coverage, no controversy, no raging posts on Boards.

Ballyseedy is a good bit out of Dublin, so how about the memorial to Noel Lemass up beside Glencree? Ever been there? The Army visit the German memorial graveyard not far from it (a beautiful place with no militaristic trappings) but have they ever found it in them to make that short detour to commemorate an Irish solider that was beaten to death and dumped up in the mountains by their predecessors?

There's quite a few Irish men that will be remembered long after we're all gone and there's a lot of them some people like to conveniently forget

P_1 · 25-11-2018 10:47PM

whisky_galore wrote: »

People can wear a poppy if they want to. It might not be your cup of tea but it's a free country. Likewise people can join the BA if they want to. Even (gasp) Irish people! Neither are my bag, but I don't piss on people who do.

Never said people can't wear one, just stating why I'd never wear one

arybvtcw0eolkf · 25-11-2018 10:50PM

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Seriously? They had a stand down ceremony for a statue? Sentimentality gone to illness proportions to be honest.

I won't engage you too much. But you're talking to someone here with 33 years military service [and counting]. I've been to a lot of stand down ceremonies and have stood to attention under our flag both at home and abroad, and listen to The Last Post played more times than I could possibly remember.

I don't need a lesson in sentimentality from you, save it.

I'm up for work in the morning (try it sometime) so its an early night for me, I'm done here.

P_1 · 25-11-2018 10:51PM

Whiplash85 wrote: »

I simply don't get why we would commemorate a foreign army in a war that was not ours. The fact that many Irish people signed up is a moot point. In essence it glorifies it and gives a romanticism that is most undeserving and unedifying. There was so much propaganda back then and it's sad to see people cheerleading again.

The reasons as to why many Irish joined the ranks of the British army have subsequently being camouflaged and remain spurious. Certainly the rational that you would fight with an imperialist empire who rampaged through our country for years and wear the same uniform because you were hungry doesn't stack up. Why not just get the boat to America rather than the rat infested diseased trenches in Flanders. Above all else why kill another man for these spurious reasons when you have no skin in the game.

For all the cheerleaders who talk about toxic nationalism and SF mindsets I must refer you to the works of Frantz Fanon who spoke about fracturing the psyche of the colonized mind.

There was no Ireland as a political entity during ww1 so it was our war.

As for why people didn't get the boat to America.
Joining the army was a guaranteed wage. The men who signed up had families to feed in Dublin, there was no guarantee they would have got a job to send cash home from America.

Fann Linn · 25-11-2018 10:57PM

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Seriously? They had a stand down ceremony for a statue? Sentimentality gone to illness proportions to be honest.

Yes. Organised on de Joe Duffy show last Friday afternoon. 16.16 was the time for it as sundown was at that time according to Joe.

He'll probably have a buke out for Christmas about it.

FrancieBrady · 25-11-2018 10:58PM

Kinley Microscopic Stirrup wrote: »

I won't engage you too much. But you're talking to someone here with 33 years military service [and counting]. I've been to a lot of stand down ceremonies and have stood to attention under our flag both at home and abroad, and listen to The Last Post played more times than I could possibly remember.

I don't need a lesson in sentimentality from you, save it.

I'm up for work in the morning (try it sometime) so its an early night for me, I'm done here.

You never explained what they were thinking playing the last post for a statue.

It is a patent tug on the heartstrings, that is all it is. Overdone over the top sentimentality and frankly, an insult to real and genuine last post's.

*Nice to get the old invective in there before you go to bed! I have actually outworked you by 2 years, if that matters at all.

FrancieBrady · 25-11-2018 11:01PM

Fann Linn wrote: »

Yes. Organised on de Joe Duffy show last Friday afternoon. 16.16 was the time for it as sundown was at that time according to Joe.

He'll probably have a buke out for Christmas about it.

Might have known sentimental Joe was behind it.

Roger Hassenforder · 25-11-2018 11:08PM

mick malones mauser wrote: »

Glad you enjoyed it Makikomi
Hopefully some day there will be a fitting memorial to the MILLIONS of mainly poor working class men boys who were sent to their deaths by uncaring monsters.
A white dove with the words Never Again would be great

Dude, are you selling doves?

Roger Hassenforder · 25-11-2018 11:12PM

FrancieBrady wrote: »

You never explained what they were thinking playing the last post for a statue.

Its played at services of remembrance

FrancieBrady · 25-11-2018 11:30PM

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

Its played at services of remembrance

That fairly and squarely tells us what side this soldier represents. That he is not 'all soldiers' at all, but a British and Commonwealth soldier.

Nice gaff there folks. :rolleyes:

P_1 · 25-11-2018 11:37PM

FrancieBrady wrote: »

That fairly and squarely tells us what side this soldier represents. That he is not 'all soldiers' at all, but a British and Commonwealth soldier.

Nice gaff there folks. :rolleyes:

You do know it's also playing at services of remembrance in the Irish army too? Remember the massive parade for the centenary of 1916, have a guess what was played at the GPO?

Roger Hassenforder · 25-11-2018 11:42PM

FrancieBrady wrote: »

That fairly and squarely tells us what side this soldier represents. That he is not 'all soldiers' at all, but a British and Commonwealth soldier.

Nice gaff there folks. :rolleyes:

Gaff? Seriously Francie. Poor fare.
You're embarrassing yourself.
Again.

When they fought in WWI, they were fighting in the British army...
Its not like this fact is in dispute.
Whether the soldier is English, Welsh, Scottish or Irish, and what business he had there is why we're here discussing it...

:rolleyes:

FrancieBrady · 25-11-2018 11:43PM

P_1 wrote: »

You do know it's also playing at services of remembrance in the Irish army too? Remember the massive parade for the centenary of 1916, have a guess what was played at the GPO?

Yep, I know our history of aping stuff from across the water.

It does mean that the 'soldier' is not by any means meant to represent 'all soldiers' as our posters here fervently claimed.

P_1 · 25-11-2018 11:53PM

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Yep, I know our history of aping stuff from across the water.

It does mean that the 'soldier' is not by any means meant to represent 'all soldiers' as our posters here fervently claimed.

You know the beauty of art? You can interpret it in whatever way you bloody well want to interpret it. I'm guessing you're interpreting it to represent imperialism which is fair enough. Others are interpreting it to represent the futility of war. Maybe others are interpreting it as a fond throwback to the "glorious days of empire "though I'd imagine they're in the minority.

FrancieBrady · 26-11-2018 12:00AM

P_1 wrote: »

You know the beauty of art? You can interpret it in whatever way you bloody well want to interpret it. I'm guessing you're interpreting it to represent imperialism which is fair enough. Others are interpreting it to represent the futility of war. Maybe others are interpreting it as a fond throwback to the "glorious days of empire "though I'd imagine they're in the minority.

So we will just gloss over the claims that this statute represents 'all soldiers' who died in WW1.

Great. :rolleyes:

P_1 · 26-11-2018 12:13AM

FrancieBrady wrote: »

So we will just gloss over the claims that this statute represents 'all soldiers' who died in WW1.

Great. :rolleyes:

If people want to interpret it that way then let them and ideally without the oh so delightful irish passive aggressive response to anyone who has the temerity to think differently on something to how you do

FrancieBrady · 26-11-2018 12:23AM

P_1 wrote: »

If people want to interpret it that way then let them and ideally without the oh so delightful irish passive aggressive response to anyone who has the temerity to think differently on something to how you do

They did more than 'interpret it'. They tried to shut down discussion of it by lying about what it represents.

They can't do that anymore, which is a plus.

Whiplash85 · 26-11-2018 12:39AM

P_1 wrote: »

There was no Ireland as a political entity during ww1 so it was our war.

As for why people didn't get the boat to America.
Joining the army was a guaranteed wage. The men who signed up had families to feed in Dublin, there was no guarantee they would have got a job to send cash home from America.

Classic cant beat them join them mentality and semantics about it being our war. The British in Ireland were our very own version of the Nazis. To wear that uniform and everything it represents is and was disgusting and shameful. No modern day handwringing and scrap metal figurine will change that.

Roger Hassenforder · 26-11-2018 12:54AM

Whiplash85 wrote: »

Classic cant beat them join them mentality and semantics about it being our war. The British in Ireland were our very own version of the Nazis. To wear that uniform and everything it represents is and was disgusting and shameful. No modern day handwringing and scrap metal figurine will change that.

We actually kinda did beat them to a certain extent, thanks in no small part to "disgusting abd shameful" men who did pull on that uniform.

Lefty Bicek · 26-11-2018 05:07AM

FrancieBrady wrote: »

It affects me, because I think it a distasteful and offensive thing to do - to eulogise and honour the generality of the British Army.

this is what you need to get through your head - that is what it is doing, regardless if you THINK you are just remembering some unfortunate who made the wrong decision about a war that should never had happened. If only the people had had the power to speak up about it's futility, illegality and wastefulness.

What you are trying to do is shut down any criticism. Your ancestor who died in WW1 would probably have been shot had he/she spoken out about it.

Thankfully we have progressed as human beings.

And if Irish, was arguably more likely to be shot.

...in the case of Irish soldiers, this obvious class bias was compounded by a cultural or ethnic bias. In Worthless men (1998) Gerald Oram argued, quite persuasively in my view, that Irish soldiers were more likely than any other national group to be condemned to death by field general courts martial during the war.

https://www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/forgotten-soldiers-the-irishmen-shot-at-dawn/

The publisher's catalogue page is a little more nuanced about that, but nevertheless...

its conclusion is that the death penalty was used with particular severity against Irish and colonial troops and labourers as well as those deemed degenerate or 'worthless'.

https://secure.francisboutle.co.uk/pages.php?cID=5&pID=11

.

Lil Sally Anne Jnr. · 26-11-2018 01:19PM

P_1 wrote: »

You know the beauty of art? You can interpret it in whatever way you bloody well want to interpret it. I'm guessing you're interpreting it to represent imperialism which is fair enough. Others are interpreting it to represent the futility of war. Maybe others are interpreting it as a fond throwback to the "glorious days of empire "though I'd imagine they're in the minority.

Personally I interpret the applied splash of paint as the superior artwork. But I've a keen eye for the avant garde and no love of imperialism.

NUTLEY BOY · 27-11-2018 04:35PM

The objectors can now sleep soundly in their beds.

The Hauntings Soldier passed me by yesterday lunchtime on the N11 heading south. Presumably, he went home via Rosslare.

Although he was disassembled on the back of a low loader he still had a sense of presence...

FrancieBrady · 27-11-2018 05:12PM

NUTLEY BOY wrote: »

The objectors can now sleep soundly in their beds.

The Hauntings Soldier passed me by yesterday lunchtime on the N11 heading south. Presumably, he went home via Rosslare.

Although he was disassembled on the back of a low loader he still had a sense of presence...

Please tell me that is a typo and you mean 'it' instead of 'he'.
Or has this statute taken on a life of it's own?

swarlb · 27-11-2018 06:50PM

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Please tell me that is a typo and you mean 'it' instead of 'he'.
Or has this statute taken on a life of it's own?

I think it's called personification.... Don't worry yourself, he (it) is gone now...

Timberrrrrrrr · 27-11-2018 07:01PM

swarlb wrote: »

I think it's called personification.... Don't worry yourself, he (it) is gone now...

The barstool republicans can rest easy at night now, until, or until the next SF thread.

swarlb · 27-11-2018 07:27PM

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

The barstool republicans can rest easy at night now, until, or until the next SF thread.

Or at least till 2021... and then 2023

Should be interesting who celebrates what.. who won, who lost, and who's still in 'power'.
Then of course there's 2049... and possibly 2113 even for our great grandchildren, when we finally broke the shackles of 'The Bailout'

So many feasts 1798, The Famine, The Troubles, The Rising and The Bailout..

Will we EVER be FREE ?

FrancieBrady · 27-11-2018 07:37PM

swarlb wrote: »

Or at least till 2021... and then 2023

Should be interesting who celebrates what.. who won, who lost, and who's still in 'power'.
Then of course there's 2049... and possibly 2113 even for our great grandchildren, when we finally broke the shackles of 'The Bailout'

So many feasts 1798, The Famine, The Troubles, The Rising and The Bailout..

Will we EVER be FREE ?

Commemorations that you can take part in if you choose without fear of being attacked by fervent empire lovers and their motley assembly of like minded zealots.
You are also free to criticise and discuss them, without any monarchists and anti Irish bigots having a strop and insisting that the only version of what happened is the empire triumphant version.

It's called living in a republican democracy.

Timberrrrrrrr · 27-11-2018 07:57PM

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Commemorations that you can take part in if you choose without fear of being attacked by fervent empire lovers and their motley assembly of like minded zealots.

Jaysus frankie when was the last time you were attacked? This is fresh news, tell us all about this horrific experience please.

You are also free to criticise and discuss them, without any monarchists and anti Irish bigots having a strop and insisting that the only version of what happened is the empire triumphant version.

It's called living in a republican democracy.

And hes back to his tired lame soundbites.

'The Haunting Soldier' sculpture vandalised

Comments