However, I watched a fascinating programme on RTE last night, called Hidden Histories, The Burning of Cork. The programme documented how Cork city went from being a city that strongly supported the British Empire and regularly decked the city out in blue white and red to celebrate royal marriages etc. (and I thought the Dubs were the Jackeens because they hung out the Union Jack to welcome Queen Victoria on her state visit... this was definately a new one on me) to having the city centre completely destroyed by arson set by British Auxilliary forces in November 1920.
It reminds me of scenes from Dresden or London in the Second World War.
The viciousness of the Auxies (as they were known) is legendary at this stage, and the volunteers reaction to their attacks in my opinion were entirely justified. The Auxies were trained and tested soldiers, some of them are known to have been still shell shocked from serving in the first world war, and as a result their service in this country was marked by its violence and cruelty. The burning of Cork occurred in retaliation to Volunteer uprising in the area which occurred due to the Auxies treatment of local people, i.e. taking pot shots of people working in fields, humiliating people, maiming them etc.
It was a truly brutal time in our history, one of many unfortunately, but this episode in particular hasn't received much coverage, which I think this programme has gone some way to rectifying.
The programme last night I felt gave a very balanced and complete account of what occurred in the Cork area in the time leading up to the burning and if it's on again I would recommend you spare an hour to sit down and watch it.
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