A member of the Irish parliament will wear a poppy in the chambers this week, the first time in recent history that a poppy will be worn to commemorate the British war dead.

The poppy is a universal symbol in Britain of respect for those that died in wars that the British fought.

Government member Frank Feighan from Roscommon told the Irish Sunday Times  that “I have my poppy and I intend to wear it to the Dail this Tuesday."

“Others wear an Easter lily with pride to remember Irish republicans, but we have to recognise there are two sides to every story.”

Remembrance Day is next Sunday but it is still a controversial event in Ireland.

An estimated  200,000 Irish soldiers fought in the First World War while a further 50,000 enlisted in the British Army during the Second World War.

“I grew up beside the home of the Connaught Rangers, an Irish regiment of the British Army, but either I must have been asleep at school or the Ulster Convenant wasn’t on the curriculum.

“We’ve all grown up over the past two decades and we need to commemorate the men who fought together from all of Ireland.”