The Fighting Irish

[webmaster]

What happened to the Fighting Irish who went up against Hitler?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16287211

They were formally dismissed from the Irish army, stripped of all pay and pension rights, and prevented from finding work by being banned for seven years from any employment paid for by state or government funds.

Ireland's involvement in World War II and it's neutrally has been the subject of much discussion and debate. But it must be pointed out that in this particular article it is only dealing with those who "deserted" from their Irish Army units to go and fight. There were many Irish citizens who went to England and United States and joined Allied units. The problem with those discussed in the article is they were legally dealt with as army deserters, making things difficult.

[webmaster]

www.independent.ie/national-news/shatter-apologises-to-our-ww2-soldiers-3137476.html

THOUSANDS of Irish soldiers who were labelled traitors for deserting to join the British Army during World War Two are going to get an official state pardon.

Most of the soldiers who fought the Nazis have since died and the estimated 100 still alive are in their 90s.

But the apology by Justice Minister Alan Shatter in the Dail yesterday for the way the deserters were treated was warmly welcomed by the soldiers' relatives as a way of reducing the stigma about what they did.

[PRESIDENT]

It's quite the shame that all this pardon is given so late in their age. These guys have lived the majority of their lives as outcasts and just now they are given their pardons. I guess better late than never, but was their government still hating on them in the 70s and 80s? What a shame.