Sir, it was Irish manned yeomanry, and mainly Roman Catholic militia who were largely responsible for crushing the 1798 Insurrection. They were victims of standard imperialist divide and rule policy.
The violation of the laws and usages of war, however, was the sole responsibility of the British Establishment of the day. In contradiction to its cynical, almost feting, treatment of French prisoners of war, Irish soldiers captured alongside their French allies were summarily shot. (This was standard British practice for dealing with Irishmen as far back as the English Civil War). Humbert, by the way, though his position was almost hopeless, conducted a brave and brilliant campaign. Vive Ia France!. The perpetrators of those war crimes have yet to he brought before the bar of history. Exorcism is overdue.
It would he fitting in the forth coming 1798 Commemoration, if some means could he found of rendering military honours to those Irishmen who answered the call to arms when the French landed at Killala and were thus dishonoured. Demonise, vermonise, exterminate is the age old path of the genocidal ethnic cleansing is the modern euphemism.
No one in their right mind wants to reopen old sores hut those dead Irish soldiers deserve to be posthumously honoured. Perhaps a symbolic re interment with full military honours could be arranged. A wrong needs to be righted. The blot on their escutcheon needs to be erased. "Who fears to speak of "98" is an honoured Thomas Davis line in our proud history. Yours, etc.,
Cedarmount Road, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin.