Sir, – In an article today (’134 Irishmen killed at sea added to official roll of second World War fatalities,’ Ireland, March 30th), Ronan McGreevy mentions the Commonwealth War Graves Commission including the names of the 134 seafarers who died in Irish ships during the second World War, even though Ireland was neutral during that conflict.
That Ireland could remain neutral was almost entirely due to the efforts of these men and their colleagues. They manned an assortment of ships, many in poor condition, some under sail and brought vital supplies to the State, without which Ireland would have been drawn into the war.
Their defenceless ships were machine-gunned, bombed, torpedoed, mined and sunk. The Irish Pine disappeared without trace until research by Capt Frank Forde in the 1960s found it had been torpedoed by a German submarine.
The Kerry Head of Limerick was bombed and sunk with no survivors within sight of people on Cape Clear Island. We commemorate armed forces personnel who died in wars and on UN service. These civilian men deserve equal commemoration and recognition.
RM Block
Frank Forde’s book, The Long Watch, tells the story of these ordinary and yet extraordinary men and their ships. – Yours, etc,
Daire Brunicardi,
Fermoy,
Co Cork.
Sir, – Reading of the decision of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to recognise the men of the Irish merchant navy and also fishing fleet seamen as war fatalities in the second World War, I am reminded of the decision many years ago to honour their memory through the naming of the various roads near what are still known as “The New Houses” in Ringsend.
There, to this day are, Bremen, Pine, Leukos, Kyleclare and Cymric Roads. These testify to a time when we did honour our role in that war and the working-class men who risked their lives to protect our country. – Yours, etc,
Dermot Lacey,
Donnybrook,
Dublin 4.
