The replies on the thread including my own have gone off the main subject but no matter. They have been good to read and has triggered a few memories. The red poppy I know of but never have I seen a white poppy and reading the poems from the WW1 there has been no mention of a white one. I have asked about it and have been told that the white is a rareity and is just an off coloured red! So to me it has been hijacked for other purposes such as peace or appeasment, whichever way one looks at that. As for the porry been worn in the Republic, I seen it in the late fifties during the Rememberance Services, and I also wore it myself in the mid sixties whilst on leave. The one thing I did wear was BA uniform, a no no but my parents wanted to see me in it and 'show me off'. I was treathened a few times but it mace to nothing, never wore it again after that. The lily, well we all have to have an emblem, I never could get mine to stick when they came round to sell them in the pubs.

Originally Posted by gallowglass

The war memorial at Islandbridge in Dublin was vandalised with ‘Brits Out’ graffiti on Friday last (and thankfully cleaned up before the dignified ceremony on Saturday)

thats interesting , do you have further info regarding this monument so i can visit it next time i go to Dublin. thanks

P.S.
maybe even Pictures of the service at the memorial, do the Irish army take any part in this ? or is it private individuals ?

Gallowglass, it is situated south of the Liffey and north of Inchicore, looking at Autoroute it is called The Irish National War Memorial Park. The road to the south of it where an entrance is located is Con Colbert Road. Hope that helps.

I will see if there are any photos dealing with the ceremony - I certainly saw enough photographers there. There was some official Irish Army representation at the ceremony, as I remember seeing an officer just before it started. The British Military Attaché was present and there was representation from the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen.

I got to Islandbridge by heading for Clancy Barracks near the Chapelizod Gate to the Phoenix Park (keep left on the approach from Dublin City). Taking this approach I turned left over the bridge and about 50 yards up on the opposite side is a sign (helpfully obstructed by a tree) to the Islandbridge War Memorial.

I wasn't able to get to the service at St. Patrick's on Sunday, but Saturday was very good.

The following link contains some information and images on Islandbridge:

http://www.irish-architecture.com/bu...andbridge.html[url]

See also pictures at http://www.irelandposters.com/dublin..._memorial.html

and visitor info at

http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/Par...GardensDublin/

There is also a Garden of Remembrance for those who died fighting for Irish freedom by fighting Britain rather than for her. Best not to confuse the two - although perhaps worth visiting both for "balance":

http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/Par...mbranceDublin/

imshi yallah wrote

(along with all the other cnuts who spent the 602 70s and 80s waiting for the soviets to invade and put them in charge)

need i say more about that and as for red poppys, they are available and are worn by some, just not as apparent as they are in britain.

Jmac you seem to have some peculiar grudge against me, but I'll stick to the points you made in the topic, I was indeed referring to the marxist background of SF and of some non violent southern politcal parties.
The poppy is difficult to get in that you could get it on any street corner in a UK town, I for one wouldnt have a clue where to find one.
I never suggested that we had troops in Darfur, (are you sure the observer mission there still has Irish officers?) I was simply citing an example of how our national idolatry of pacifism clashes with the real needs of the most vulnerable people on the planet.
Sinn Fein and the SWP vocally advertise the white poppy as a symbol of pacifism over here so forgive me for taking their word for it.

Yours Sincerely
I-Y

Originally Posted by Imshi-Yallah

As I said please base posts on fact.

Interestingly, I know some of these facts are wrong. Eastern Command Infantry Force and 6 Brigade were gone by 1998, and establishment for an Irish battalion in Eire is 345 (as opposed to UNIFIL etc. Bns, which are 650 strong, and drawn from the rest of the army), with 2 Coys and an HQ. The 3rd Coy would be formed in wartime (from ex-regular reservists).

The FCA is now the Army Reserve, and they aren't brigades. The 3 regional brigades all have and FCA group under the command of a Commandant (major) (to be Lt Cols soon), which commands the militia forces in the district. Their role is static home defence in their own towns.

An Irish Arty Bn last I checked were all at single Bty strength (6 guns per Bn, or 7 RBS-70 and 2 Bofors 40/70 in 1 AD Rgt), with 8 field batteries spread through the regular army and army reserve. The main equipment is the 25 pdr (excepting 1 bty of 105).

Originally Posted by Purple_Flash

Originally Posted by The Sailor

Forgive me if I am wrong but I always thought all the colours, both Regimental and Kings, were laid up in Windsor Castle on the disbandment of the great south Irish regiments.

They were indeed, and the King is reported to have wept as he received them. The TCD one however was not regimental and seems to have been retained; D Coy 20 Inf Bn was the successor to the TCD OTC in some strange fashion.

Trinity OTC became Pearses (as in Padraig Pearce) Battalion of the 1920's Irish Army, which was the officer training unit. During the Wartime emergency it ended up in the FCA, and was reduced to D (Pearces) Coy, 20th Infantry Bn (FCA).

The colours of the regular Bns indeed are at Windsor, but the colours of Irish territorials are elsewhere.

For a full rundown on ORBAT and any other information on the Irish Defence Forces please follow the link below:

http://www.military.ie/index.htm