(A
Campaign to preserve Killester's former Royal British Legion Hall as a symbol of
commemoration and reconciliation in honour of Irishmen who
served and who lost their lives during WW1)
Vandalism at former Royal
British Legion Hall: Killester, Dublin:
03 June 2020: Adjacent to their former Royal
British Legion Hall, local Killester residents had
constructed a small informal garden of remembrance
and included a number of memorial crossesdedicated to their fallen, which were recently destroyed and then scattered on the
road and in the surrounding green space by
person/persons unknown. In consequence of this act of
unacceptable vandalism, the original website set up in
2013, to support the Killester War Memorial Campaign
(WW1), and now re-edited, has today been re-launched along
with a new facebook page in support of residents who wish
to commemorate Killester's Lost Lives:
Peter Mulvany BCL, HDip Arts Admin:
The
Killester development, where 247 bungalows were built for the
families of men who fought in World War 1 was part of the
‘Homes fit for heroes’. Killester railway station was built to
serve it, and a competing private bus line was called ‘The
Contemptible’: using the brand image of the
‘Old Contemptibles’,
those who had served since 1914. Our decade of
Commemorations demands that we retain and preserve historic
buildings within local communities that have a unique link
with our world war one heritage. Consequently, the Killester
War Memorial Campaign (WW1) was inaugurated in 2013 to appeal
for cross community support for our efforts to preserve the
former Killester Royal British Legion Hall, and to protect
this unique historic hall as a permanent symbol of
commemoration and reconciliation in honour of the many
Irishmen who served and who lost their lives during world war
one.
Dublin Teenagers Rally to save their
British Legion Hall - 09th April 2014: (Background Pipe music with the kind permission of
Pipe Major David Johnson from Northern Ireland, ex Irish Guards,
formerly Pipe Major, Queens Royal Irish Hussars, and currently with
the Crossed swords Pipes and Drums, Germany).
Commemoration in Killester
Extract - Houses For Heroes
Life in the Killester Colony 1919-1945
Extract 10 April 2014:Quote:
"After the guns of Europe fell silent a desire developed to
remember those who had died and to commemorate the Allied
victory. Armistice Day was specifically dedicated by King
George V on 7 November 1919 as a Day of Remembrance. Dignified
civilian and military services became the traditional British
means of Remembrance. Commemoration of those who died in the
Great War became part of the culture of the Killester colony.
Residents organised local ceremonies and took part in national
events. On Armistice Day 1923 Killester village fell silent as
ex-servicemen and their families took part in a moving
ceremony on the village green. Men wearing full military dress
were addressed by Majors Lefroy and Cooper. The Killester
colony was the largest concentration of ex-servicemen in the
Free State and their 1923 celebrations were described as
remarkable.
Remembrance ceremonies were organised throughout the Irish
Free State by the Royal British Legion whose branches united
to form parades to the
Temporary Cenotaph in the Phoenix Park.
The Killester ex-servicemen usually converged with the Great
Northern Railway ex-servicemen at Amiens Street and then
joined other contingents as they marched to the park in
unison. Remembrance Day parades were described by the press as
major events with up to 20,000 participating veterans. Dublin
streets were lined with spectators; O’Connell Bridge was
closed to facilitate the marchers while a strong Garda
presence was evident. Led by A.P.Connolly, veterans observed
two minutes silence, sounded the last post and laid wreaths in
memory of their fallen comrades. Newspaper coverage of these
events is extensive which is hardly surprising considering the
level of participation. Throughout the 1920s and 30s,
newspapers in November are filled with reports of ceremonies
in Irish cities and towns including photographs of the
Killester men on parade. Leonard and Dungan agree that
commemoration of the war became synonymous with the visible
force of the Black and Tans, who forced shopkeepers to close
their premises on Armistice Day. Leonard notes that fighting
between republicans and ex-servicemen was commonplace, along
with attacks on poppy sellers and British Legion Halls. The
Legion Hall in Killester suffered two such attacks. The
premises were destroyed by fire in April 1928, petrol cans
were found in the debris. The following October, taxi driver,
John Kirwan was forced to drive gunman ‘on a political job’ to
the Killester Legion Hall where several shots were fired into
the premises. Despite the threat of violence, memorial
ceremonies continued. Just two weeks after the shootings, the
Killester branch led by Captain de Lacy joined their comrades
at Connolly station and proceeded to Beresford Place to join
the parade as normal. Leonard notes that due to frequent
attacks, women took over the selling of poppies because they
were less likely to be accosted. This was the tradition in
Killester where residents remember women and young girls
selling poppies in November.
While the poppy may have been
viewed by republicans as a symbol of British power, attitudes
in Killester seemed indifferent with regard to the wearing of
poppies. Some people wore them, some didn’t, but no strong
feelings were expressed with regard to the wearing of poppies.
Some wore poppies in November but they also wore Easter Lilies
at Easter.
While some ex-servicemen donned full military regalia others
did not participate in any commemorative celebrations.
Proceeds from the sale of poppies went towards the care of
ex-servicemen in distress. In 1927, the RBL gave £38,000 to
ex-servicemen who were unable to find employment. Leonard
contends that commemoration dwindled after the first decade.
This was not due to dwindling enthusiasm but due to Fianna
Fail’s rise to power in 1932. Duffy remarks that de Valera
changed his attitude to commemoration following his election.
In opposition he bitterly opposed Remembrance ceremonies but
took a more pragmatic approach when in Government. De Valera
refused to attend ceremonies but still allowed them to take
place. The National War Memorial Trust was established in 1919
to plan a permanent to the men who died. Cosgrave suggested a
site at Islandbridge, de Valera supported the project which
commenced in 1932. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the
Memorial was completed in 1939. The official opening was
delayed by war, indifference and neglect. Ceremonies were
suspended during the Northern Ireland troubles. The gardens
fell into disrepair but were Eventually Restored with the
support of the Royal British Legion. Although the cultural
legacy of war was evident in church, commercial and sports
memorials, remembrance services became confined to Protestant
churches. This ‘Collective amnesia’ was a denial of the true
complexity of Irish political, social and cultural
allegiances. Recent events have caused us to consider Irish
involvement in the Great War. The official opening of
Islandbridge took place on 1 July, 2006 to commemorate the
90th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. The visit of
Queen Elizabeth in May 2011 was a historic occasion that
acknowledged the past and looked to the future. President
Higgins chose the 2011 Remembrance Day Services at St.
Patrick’s Cathedral as his first official function. These
symbolic events signify a new phase of remembrance".
Ends:
1.
Interestingly in her excellent article the author records
that;
'apart from the odd remark about living in 'Little
Britain'
or getting a free house', no evidence of animosity towards the
community emerged',
which corroborates the view that Killester had been described
on various occasions as 'Little Britain'.
2.
The first ever visit by A British Minister to the Irish Free
State included a trip to Killester. Mr E.O. Roberts, British
Minister of Pensions, visited Dublin in June 1924 to discuss
ex-servicemen's pensions. Accompanied by Sir Henry McLaughlin
and Major Lefroy, the Minister inspected a parade of Killester
ex-servicemen many wearing medals or ribbons.
Union Jacks flew beside the Irish Free State Flag while the
Minister inspected the men in Killester. (Killester veterans showing
EQUAL respect for the diversity of their traditions).
Killester Garden
Village
(housing for WW1
veterans after the war)
Returning
soldiers had to apply to the Local Government Board for a house.
There didn't seem to be any strict criteria, just ex-servicemen of
sound character who had families to support. The first residents
moved in, in 1923, many of the returning soldiers worked on the
Killester site as labourers, physically building the houses they
were going to live in. The Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust
took over in January 1924 and then men had to apply directly to the
Trust for housing. 'The over riding concern of the British
Government was to maintain social stability'. There appeared to be a
practice of the Irish Soldiers and Sailors Land Trust building
different style houses for different ranks. For example, in
Killester there were 3 types of housing: the largest ones in Demesne
were reserved for officers, Middle Third went to the middle ranks
and Abbeyfield was reserved for the ordinary ranking soldiers and
their families. As the years went by and families got bigger, people
did move to the bigger houses within the estate. The historical
significance of the area is well documented, as from “The Irish
Sailors' and Soldiers' Land Trust – First Report – 1st January 1924
to 31st March 1926”, page 18: “At the garden suburb of Killester, on
the outskirts of Dublin, 247 houses (See also
Irish Architectural Archive) were erected by the Local
Government Board. These are all single-storey “bungalows,” of which
32, of 1,007 feet superficial area, are detached ; they contain a
parlour, living-room, large scullery, and three bedrooms, besides
bathroom, larder and coal store. Of the remainder, 177, with similar
accommodation but without the parlour, are of 841 feet capacity,
while 38, with only 2 bedrooms, have an area of 675 feet.” The Irish
Sailors' and Soldiers' Land Trust subsequently took over these
properties from the Local Government Board into what the Report
states on page 25, is “one of the Trust's largest schemes
(Killester-247 cottages).” All of these 'bungalows' were constructed
to house Irish Sailors and Soldiers returning from World War I. The
Irish Soldiers and Sailors Land Trust built nearly 4000 houses
throughout the State for soldiers returning from WWl.