'An absolute insult' - Offaly councillor blasts planned RIC commemoration

Independent Offaly councillor, Sean O' Brien, states that he is totally opposed to the Government commemoration event for the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP). He also called on his fellow Offaly public representatives not to attend the event.

"This event is an absolute insult to the men and women who fought for so long for our independence, many of them giving their lives. Members of the DMP and the RIC helped to identify those who were to be executed after the 1916 Rising. I am calling on all public representatives in Offaly to boycott this event," stated Cllr O' Brien.

"There is a direct connection between the RIC, DMP and the barbarous Black and Tans and Auxiliaries. The Black and Tans were recruited from March 1920 to supplement the RIC and they were mostly former British Army soldiers.

"They got their name from the dark green RIC tunics and khaki British Army trousers which they wore. The Auxiliaries were an auxiliary division of the RIC, made up of ex-British Army officers and were recruited from July 1920," outlined Cllr O' Brien.

"We are all aware of the barbarism of these forces while carrying out British rule in Ireland at the time. It is an affront to the people of Ireland who suffered greatly while fighting for our independence. To suddenly say that all is forgotten is an insult as the RIC, the DMP, the Black and Tans and the Auxiliaries were nothing other than the strong arm of the British Government who opposed Irish Independence at the time," he continued.

"I am proud of the many Irish men and women who fought for our Independence. They suffered greatly at the hands of the British Government and their agents in Ireland at the time. I cannot support an event to commemorate them.  To say that this all happened 100 years ago does not diminish the severity of the atrocities.

"Minister Charlie Flanagan says that the event is simply an acknowledgement of the historical significance of both the RIC and the DMP. I do not see any historical significance relating to a bunch of barbarous thugs who used their power to uphold the opposition of the British Government at the time to Irish independence," concluded Cllr O' Brien.