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President Higgins pays tribute to those Irish who died in two World Wars

Michael D then travels north for school choir celebration

CATHAL DERVAN,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Monday, November 14, 2011, 8:08 AM

Updated Monday, November 14, 2011, 11:50 AM

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President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina are greeted by Dean Robert McCarthy at the Remembrance Sunday service at St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin

Photo by Irish Times

Michael D Higgins proved a big hit as he went to work in his new job as President of Ireland – with contrasting duties on both sides of the border.

The new man in the Aras spent his first working Sunday on official duty at functions of a very different nature in Dublin and Derry.

His day began at a Remembrance Day service in the capital for the Irish men and women who died in the two World Wars.

The new President’s first official function in office saw him lay a wreath during Evensong at St Patrick’s Cathedral to pay his respects to the thousands of Irish soldiers who died in the two wars.

It is estimated that up to 500,000 Irish men and women fought in the two wars, and that almost 10,000 died on the battlefields.

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President Higgins then travelled north to Derry, to present prizes at the finals of the All-Island School Choir of the Year awards in the city’s Millennium Forum.

“I am delighted to join you here tonight and to have had the privilege of enjoying such beautiful choral performances,” said President Higgins at the conclusion of a competition featuring 46 choirs from all over Ireland.

“Hans Christian Andersen said that where words fail, music speaks,” added Ireland’s new President.

“It has been inspiring to witness the final performances but every participating choir in this competition has shown the wonderful talent and teamwork that enabled each and every one of them to represent their school to the very very best of their ability.

“Surely a people that can sing together in harmony is a wonderful and great omen for the future.”

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IrelandNorth | Nov 16, 2011, 07:43 AM EST

During the Prime Time Presidenial debate, President Higgins described himself as a spiritual rather than religious man, a distinction many people fail to grasp. Whilsts it's important to attend ceremonies such as this, it's equally important to consider the part orthodox Christianity (Catholic/Protestant) has played in the tug-o'-war over the soul of Caitlin Ni h'Uallachain (i.e. Ireland). A Papal Bull (c. 1171) granted Ireland to Anglo-Norman King Henry II of England so as to tame those pagan wild Gaelic-speaking savages. The rest is history.

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JOHNTOBIN | Nov 16, 2011, 02:41 AM EST

What a wonderful breath of fresh air appears to bring with him.Visiting Northern Ireland and his attendance at a Rememberance Day service at Saint Patrick's Cuurch Of Ireland Cathedral in Dublin.Imagine how much suffering and bigotry on both sides may have been avoided if this frame of mind had been prevalant fifty,sixty,or seventy years ago.You appear to be an excellent President Michael D Higgins.

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DanOLoingsigh | Nov 15, 2011, 04:09 PM EST

ancavker – Your perception of WW1 may well be based on the imagery of the Western Front, and the carnage there. However the main battlefield of that war was, as in WW2, the Battle of the Atlantic. Here many crimes were indeed committed against innocent Irish sailors, from the merchant fleet not the Royal Navy, who were engaged in supplying the Allied civilian population (including Ireland) with food, fuel and manufactured goods, from across the Atlantic. Over 14,000 UK Sailors were lost, so you can expect Irish losses to be in proportion by population. Blockade was an established form of warfare, both sides did it, but the sinking of unarmed merchant ships without warning was against the rules of war. Many historians regard WW2 and WW1 as essentially the same conflict, with a lull in between. French Marshal Foch said after the Treaty of Versailles, "This is not a peace. It is an armistice for twenty years"…he was out by about 2 months. So to say these men died for nothing is a simplistic view, seen through a very narrow prism.

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joycean | Nov 15, 2011, 12:43 PM EST

Ancavker, This is about a religious observance. It costs nothing to say, "We remember all our dearly departed who died in what they felt was the name of freedom," or something to that effect. Historians can debate wars if they want, but religion should be a source of comfort for the living, not another area to fight petty squabbles. One of my grandmother's brothers fought in WWI, but during my lifetime, my cousin was severely injured when he was in Viet Nam, another unpopular war that soldiers came home from to jeers. I know what war is like. I sympathize with all the families of people who have been injured or killed in wars.

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ancavker | Nov 15, 2011, 12:20 PM EST

oldboreen: I do not necessarily disagree with you. But many of the revisionists want to elevate those who fought in two world wars, and ignore, and in fact malign with the words terrorists and criminals those who fought for Irish freedom. As far as fighting in defense of liberty, yes in WW 2, WW 1 on the other hand was just a blood bath, and there were no good guys there. The Irish men who died in that war, died for nothing, and fought against people who never committed a crime against Ireland.

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oldboreen | Nov 14, 2011, 01:57 PM EST

Noticed the contrasting first two comments-those of joycean and ancavkar-Pretty well sums up the opposing opnions with regard to Ireland's relationship to the UK. No true Irishman or woman would in any way disrespect the memory of those who died for Ireland's freedom, but President Higgins quite rightly reminds us that tens of thousands of Irish men died in defense of liberty in two world wars. Airbrush them out of Irish history, as was the case for generations? Thank God we are no longer in that state of denial!!! That period was Ireland's shame! To honour the Irish war dead in St Patrick's was an act of true statemanship!

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ancavker | Nov 14, 2011, 12:50 PM EST

joycean: I hope he will of course do the same for those who died for Ireland's freedom. They should take precedence; well at least they would in every other country. But the Irish are an odd bunch.

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joycean | Nov 14, 2011, 08:55 AM EST

How nice that Higgins participated in the Rememberance Day observance.Much better than arguing for 100 years about whether Ireland's dead deserve rememberance. The dead probably don't care, but their families do.

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