The fuzzy nostalgia encouraged by Poppy Day facilitates the justification of war
Opinion: We cannot understand Ireland’s participation in the conflict without reference to its relationship with Britain
The Menin Gate memorial in Ypres, Belgium includes the names of thousands of Irish war dead. Photograph: Aidan Crawley
Those who tuned into ITV’s Champion’s League coverage on Tuesday night to catch a glimpse of the new Republic of Ireland management team could not fail to notice that both Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane were sporting poppies.
A decade ago the sight of a man from a nationalist background in Co Derry and a former Republic of Ireland captain wearing this symbol might have raised hackles, but these days it is barely commented on. Indeed, some increasingly see the poppy as a way of commemorating Irish relatives who served in the Great War.