The Wolfe Tones

What is this crap with people trying to use Sean Russell as some sort of gotcha? Russell's "collaboration" with Germany begins and ends with his desire for money and guns to fight the British and that's it. Russell, himself, said he wasn't pro nazi or even pro German. He was anti British and if he could use Germany's animosity toward Britain for his own ends, he was going to. FFS the man wasn't even around for most of the war. He died in 1940. In terms of sticks to use to beat the IRA with, Russell isn't even a twig.

In addition, just because there were some Indians in the British Army while their nation was being occupied doesn't mean a damn thing. The vast majority of Indian people wanted the British out of their country. The British, in general, treated the Indians as second class citizens in their own country.

Trying to pretend that the Raj was some sort of equitable deal for everyone concerned is a truly mind boggling attempt at gibberish.

And on a thread about a line in a silly song?

Lol. I can hear the furious tapping to search wikipedia from here!

I know exactly where and when Sean Russell died and what happened to his body.

I also know that wasn't any plan at all to install a Nazi regime in Ireland. that is a load of old bollocks.

In fact Sean Russell, himself, said "I am not a Nazi. I’m not even pro-German. I am an Irishman fighting for the independence of Ireland...If it suits Germany to give us help to achieve independence, I am willing to accept it, but no more, and there must be no strings attached."

Into the bargain, absolutely NOBODY has said that Russell was a "bystander". But trying to make out Sean Russell to be some sort of ardent Nazi is ridiculous.

Russell's sole aim was getting the British out of Ireland. If he was going to get money and guns from Germany, he'd take it. He also went looking for funds from Russia and America too.

The term useful idiot is applied there. If he thought the Nazis would have left us alone in the event of a British defeat he must have been the stupidest man in history.

That Russell's political attitude toward Germany at the time could be considered naive is a given, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" often is. But there was no plans to install a nazi regime in Ireland from any side. Not even the Germans had any real interest in that. They were more worried about Ireland going to bat for Britain and allowing the use of ports on the western approaches. Germany preferred Ireland neutral.

Plus, it wasn't even remotely entertained in Ireland even if there were some benefits to IRA in getting deliveries of weapons, intel and money from Germany. But not even the IRA (which only numbered a few thousand men at this stage) as an organisation had any real interest in doing deals with Germany. It was well understood that if Germany made any move towards Ireland in any serious way, the British wouldn't hesitate in re-occupying the entire country and thus make the IRA's aims of getting the British out of Ireland even harder.

Your own post exposes your claim to be only interested in fact as pure hypocrisy.

You refer to other posters as "usual Unionist supporting members of Boards.ie", something you know to be untrue. I am not aware of a single unionist supporting poster to have posted on this thread.

The usual republican diatribe and hate hiding behind a facade of a claim of historical accuracy.

The headline on the article sums it up well - People divided as Wolfe Tone revellers chant "Up the Ra".

It is a divisive chant and should be anathema to anyone with any interest in peace, reconciliation and equality.

He also collaborated with the Russians and the Americans. He was willing to go anywhere if he could get money and arms to kick the British out of Ireland.

Neville Chamberlain wasn't trained by the Nazi military in how to blow up buildings by the Abwher and then returned in order to help the Germans overthrow his own government.

If you are actually comparing the two, it shows how little you actually know.

And besides, Neville Chamberlain will forever be known in history as an appeaser and the man who gave away Czechoslovakia.

Facts are not your strong suit is it now?

The fact is, the PIRA killed more Catholics and Innocent Civilians than the British Security forces did.

They killed more teenagers and women than anyone else too.

And **** the loyalists too, but no one is defending them here.

The idea that the PIRA were brave plucky honorable warriors is the biggest myth going.

They were by and large scumbags and psychopaths.