Heritage talk puts last year of WW1 into Irish perspective

Although WW1 did end in 1918, the fourth year of the war was one of 'more twists of fortune' that could have finished it either way, the audience at a talk in Kilcullen Library heard last night, writes Brian Byrne.

"It was probably the most dramatic, a year of darkness and light," Kildare Library Services historian James Durney noted in his 'End of Days' talk as part of the Kildare contribution to National Heritage Week.

Through the evening he charted the progress of the offensives carried out through 1918, underpinned by the decision of America to send troops in support of the Allies. It was that prospect which triggered the German side to break through lines which had more or less remained static through the previous years.

But while the Germans made strong ground in two key offensives in April and May, the arrival of American reinforcements from mid-summer began to turn the tide. "At that point, the German High Command knew they had lost the war, and it was only a matter of time," James Durney noted.

However, it was all at a terrible cost, with hundreds of thousands killed on both sides in the final year. From the local standpoint, last evening's event heard that about 750 men, and one woman, from Kildare were killed in WW1. Twenty-nine of them were from Kilcullen.

During the evening, James outlined what was happening back home, in particular the resistance to attempts by the British government to impose conscription in Ireland.

Those who fought against the move included political, religious, business and republican leaders, and it was particularly opposed by the women of Ireland. "In Dublin, some 40,000 women signed a pledge against conscription and vowed that no woman would take a man's job if he were conscripted. In Rathangan, 300 women did."

In the end, conscription was never introduced. But not much could be done to stop the Great Flu which also arrived in Ireland in that last year of WW1. James Durney spoke at length about the effects, both nationally where conservative estimates are that more than 20,000 died, and in County Kildare which had the highest death toll per head from the illness.

"Doctors worked around the clock ... soup kitchens were set up to feed the afflicted ... lists of the dead were published each week ... and in some cases there were queues for burials."

James concluded his review of 1918 with a discussion on the 100,000 demobilised men who came home to economic and political uncertainty. Who were physically and mentally affected by the 'rats, lice, loneliness and fear, and the sheer savagery of the war zone'.

Many came home with complete mental breakdowns, and 'shell-shocked' men became a feature of virtually every town and village in Ireland.

Welcoming those who came for the talk, Kilcullen Librarian Julie O'Donoghue noted that a local group had begun the process of remembering Kilcullen's WW1 dead four years ago. "We just wanted to remember them, but it became almost magical, creating a space where we could talk about our relatives who had been involved. There were some extraordinary stories and remembrances, and people were very generous with their sharing and with their knowledge."

She said that had been a wonderful year, 'even though it had been harrowing', and it was fitting that the process should be 'bookended' with James Durney's talk.

Alan and Fionnuala Dukes with Phena Bermingham.

Gerry O'Donoghue and Fr Niall Mackey.

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