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T. F. MEAGHER AND 'GI JOE':
SEPARATED AT BIRTH?
They were oft-referred to as "Billy Yank" and "Johnny Reb," the antagonists in the dramatic four-year struggle for the life and soul of the American nation. But Gallowglass wonders if we might call two recent reincarnations of the warriors GI Liam and GI Sean.
Hasbro, Inc., the father of the family of "action figures" christened "GI Joe" 34 years ago, has brought replicas of these two former foes to market. Gallowglass has seen the promotional material for these two dolls and he must say – Fag an Bealeac!
The Confederate version of this family of miniatures seems a true son of Erin, with flaming red hair and beard. The Federal counterpart looks more like a son of Olaf with his blond mane, but he could perhaps be a scion of the Viking pillagers who left their DNA in the Irish gene pool. But the boldness of one of his poses seems inspired by Gen. Meagher himself.
Gallowglass was ready to acknowledge that this might be sheer coincidence, that Hasbro is not in its way paying homage to The Wild Geese who served over 200,000 strong in the late hostilities. But then he discovered that the firm's promotional mailer includes an 1861 image of no less a noble triumvirate of then-Captain Meagher, 69th New York Militia commander Michael Corcoran and the 69th's Major James Haggerty posed on and about an artillery piece somewhere in northern Virginia prior to the First Battle of Bull Run.
The lads come ready to rumble, bearing their own tin cups, canteens, replica 1853 Enfield rifle musket, six cartridges, even shelter-halves, bedroll, "brogans," and respective national colors. The list of accoutrements and detail goes on and on.
Below left, the secessionist cousin of G.I. Joe inspires thoughts of Hugh "Red" O'Donnell and other great Gaelic warriors.
For those looking to acquire the pair, Hasbro's special order hotline is 1.888.71 GI Joe. The lads are $74.95 each or $119.90 for the pair. For all we know, they may be brothers, or at least kinsmen, so you may not want to split them up. Say Gallowglass sent ye. And to Hasbro, he has advice of one word: Fenian. Consider the possibilities.
FUROR IN TIPPERARY
Gallowglass is inclined to call it "the ditty that launched a donnybrook!"
We hear that a group hungering for the tourist dollar in Tipperary has proposed to make the World War I British army recruiting song "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" the siren song for a "Tipperary War Museum."
The hope would be to capitalize on the song's fame to draw much needed visitors' Euros and dollars to the moribund local economy. So far though, the proposal from the "Fame of Tipperary Committee" has brought ringing denunciation down upon the heads of its framers, with some critics even calling into question the committee members' patriotism.
According to an article in the February 21 edition of the Clonmel-based "The Nationalist" weekly, the proposed museum would focus on World War I, "to commemorate in some way the memories of those Irishmen who sacriced their lives for whatever reason, be it economic circumstances or a misguided hope for the future freedom of Ireland." The museum, its proponents say, would also contain histories of local men who served in foreign conflicts all over the world.
British army recruiting poster during World War I
Critics roundly denounced the proposal, saying it would exist to honor the British Army, which was garrisoned in Tipperary town until the British withdrew with the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922.
"No excuse can be offered for the promoters of the war museum of the British Empire," commented John Hassett, of the "Irish Bardic Federation" to the Nationalist. "In my opinion it is an insult to the memory of the dead who died for Ireland attempting to end the reign of the evil British Empire in this country. It is an insulting gesture towards all the people of this nation, who desire the withdrawal of British troops from our land and want a united Ireland, free of British interference.
WHAT'S YOUR VIEW?
Nearly half a million Irish filled the ranks of the British Expeditionary Force, this despite the successful effort to prevent application of Britain's draft in Ireland. These men enlisted, disregarding a litany of broken promises from the British government. What were the issues confronting Irish men of military age from 1914-1918? Should the citizens of Tipperary honor the county's men who fought in the British army and navy, many with great heroism, with a museum? To discuss this question and many others, drop by The Wild Geese Forum, where the epic sagas of Erin and Erin's far-flung exiles are our daily fare.
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"Who could have any sentiment for an army of occupation that murdered in cold blood in Tipperary Military Barracks Martin Purcell and Jim Hickey, Irish volunteers who were their prisoners during the War of Independence."
More criticism came in the following week's Nationalist, which printed four letters against the proposal, and none for.
"Will there be space provided in memory of the Black and Tans?" asks letter writer Pat Stagg, referring to the infamous auxiliary that committed the worst of the British atrocities in Ireland. Another commentator, John Long, points out that the song "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" referred to a house of ill repute known as "Tipperary" in London's Piccadilly section. "Maybe they (the museum proponents) should try a working model," Long suggests.
The committee responded in the weekly's same edition, saying "Many former colonial people use the relics of their former imperial masters for their own use . . Mr. Hassett, who claims to speak for the people of this nation in his cry for British withdrawal and a United Ireland, would seem to be carrying a heavy burden over 700 years of hatred. . . .
"In conclusion, we would not feel competent to judge in the clear light of hindsight the motivations of those Irishmen who for whatever reason, rightly or wrongly, fought in the Great War. We leave their memory to the judgment of history. Among those who participated and survived to play a major role in the War of Independence were General Tom Barry. . . and Brigadier Emmet Dalton, to name but two.
"We make no apologies to anyone for our efforts to provide for Tipperary a centre which will depict the horrors of war and emphasizes the importance and necessirty for peace both in Ireland and throughout the World. We leave it to the judgment of the people in Tipperary town and district to decide if this project should go ahead in order to lift the prostrate economy of the town."
The proposal, if it has accomplished nothing else, has brought into sharp focus the massive British recruiting effort in Ireland during World War I, an effort that led 500,000 Irish into the ranks of the British Expeditionary Force. Many enlisted in the war's early months, responding to the call of Irish nationalist leader John Redmond, who stated that Irish support for the war effort would be repaid with home rule at war's end. Nearly 50,000 of these Irishmen lost their lives, while the same British army smashed the Easter Rising in April 1916 and executed its leaders. Three years later the same army led a brutal, foiled effort to smash the Irish Republican Army and its supporters during the War of Independence. Gallowglass must say that he too has trouble conceptualizing a museum honoring those who took their marching orders from Ireland's oppressors.
BRITISH KILLER GOES FREE,
WHISTLE-BLOWER GETS THE BOOT
One of Gallowglass' correspondents, Eddie Whyte in Norway, sends along the following tidbit from last Sunday's London Times:
"Confidential First World War papers have revealed how the British military cold-shouldered a baronet and ruined his military career because he foiled a cover-up of the execution of three Irish journalists during the 1916 Easter rising.
"Major Sir Francis Fletcher-Vane was dismissed from the army after reporting that Captain John Bowen-Colthurst ordered the summary execution of three journalists, including Francis Sheehy Skeffington, according to war papers recently released at Britain's Public Record Office.
"Fletcher-Vane reported Bowen-Colthurst to Lord Kitchener, the war minister. Bowen-Colthurst was immediately court-martialled, found guilty of murder but insane and sent to Broadmoor, a hospital for the criminally insane. The papers show that Fletcher-Vane, 54, was dismissed just for reporting his fellow officer.
Below right, a view of the destruction in Dublin near O'Connell Bridge in the aftermath of the Easter Rising in April 1916.
"This officer was relegated to unemployment owing to his action in the Skeffington murder case in the Sinn Fein rebellion," states one document. His appeals for a hearing and reinstatement, which went to the prime minister, Lord Asquith, and his successor, David Lloyd-George as well as the king, were rebuffed. "
Skeffington, a pacifist, socialist and much-beloved character around town, had been on Portobello Bridge, Dublin, on Easter Monday 1916 when he was arrested by the army. That evening Bowen-Colthurst arrested Skeffington, along with reporters Thomas Dickson and Patrick McIntyre. Skeffington went out that night as a hostage on a raiding party and witnessed Bowen-Colthurst shoot dead an unarmed 17-year-old boy who was returning from church. The captain spent that night in prayer and the next morning ordered a firing squad to shoot all three. Skeffington had to be shot a second time before he died.
Concludes the Times' article: "Fletcher-Vane's actions led to his dismissal even though he had earned several merits during his years of service. His struggle to clear his name went on for years, and only with the release of the official war papers has the full story come to light. He died in 1934 and his baronetcy ended with him. Bowen-Colthurst was released from Broadmoor in 1921 and emigrated with his wife to British Columbia where he died in 1966." (1921? Most interesting. . . Could his release have had something to do with the war being waged by the IRA at that time? Or did he finally recover his faculties? Most interesting timing, really!)
HEARTLAND PUSH FOR
IRISH-AMERICAN SOLDIERS
Correspondent "J Murphy" writes that he (or she) is looking "to organize a day of recognition for Irish-American soldiers who served in the US military." Murphy asks for information to assist in founding an Irish American Recognition Day for the Nebraska Army National Guard. You can write Murphy at murphodite@aol.com.
ANOTHER CHIP OUT OF THE OL' 'EMPIRAH?'
It appears the Queen may soon lose her (ceremonial at least)
hegemony over yet another part of Britannia's once mighty empire. And Gallowglass is not prepared to shed any tears, he most emphatically states.
Australians could vote on cutting the country's ties with Britain next
year and have a republic in place by 2001. Australian Prime Minister
John Howard, who is not in favor of the proposed republic, recently said, "If the people then decide to change our constitution, the new arrangements will be in place for the centenary of the inauguration of
the Australian nation and the opening of the new millennium on the first of January, 2001." Speaking at the opening of a two-week convention to consider Australia becoming a republic, Howard said that if clear
support for a particular republican model emerged it would be put to a
referendum before the end of 1999. Gallowglass posits: Hong Kong is gone, Australia may be going, wouldn't it be a grand gesture for the British to start the new millennium by giving up all her
old colonies, especially her very oldest and closest? . . . Ah dear, just a passing reverie.
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