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AN POST HAS launched a new stamp to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme.
The World War One battle claimed the lives of more than 1 million soldiers, many of them Irish.
The stamp is already on sale and will be used for international postage.
It carries an image of the Royal Irish Rifles that is currently on display at Britain’s Imperial War Museum in London.
The Battle of the Somme
The Somme was one of the fiercest battles of WWI, stretching from the start of July right through into November.
A total of 3,500 Irish soldiers were killed in the battle, coming from the Irish Division and the Ulster Division of the British Army.
While there was huge suffering on both sides, the battle did not allow either to gain the strategic upper hand.
An Post has said that the stamps will be of particular interest to anyone who might have had an ancestor who fought in the battle.
Anyone looking to get their hands on the stamps can do so in main post offices and online at IrishStamps.ie.
I often look into the faces of the men in these type of photographs. Try to wonder what they were thinking. Sad, sad times.
The dark ones, the ones perpetuating the pointless wars, need to be somehow dealt with. Does voting do it?
I don’t believe that you can deal with them. They’ve had a long time to settle, and settled they are. The New World Order is firmly in full flow, and we are but lambs to the slaughter. Good Luck.
WTF Are you on about? Do you seriously think these martyrs had a choice in that era?!
Calm down Sean, I’m saying the young lives lost were pointless and unforgivable losses.
Sean ireland didn’t have a conscription obligation so they did have a choice.
Well done an post ..nice touch to brave irish men .. maith an féar
Long overdue. De Valera and his ilk tried hard to airbrush the extent of Irish involvement in WW1 out of Irish history books. Yet in my eyes it is by far the most fascinating and interesting period in our history by far.
@Emma, agree, but you should read up on Hugh O’Neill and Patrick Sarsfield, I’ve also read Cromwell, really opens your eyes compared to the lies we were told, Cromwell a lot more honorable that were led to believe, I know I’m gonna be sorry I said that, but red thumbs roll on.
@Conri, Beleave it or not Cromwell was a republican an English one but a republican nether the less.
Sorry to burst your bubble EmmaQ, but if you read Keith Jeffery’s “Ireland and the Great War”, you will see that De Valera’s government supported the Irish National War Memorial, completed in 1938.
Maybe you should start reading a few Irish history books first before you make assumptions about what has been airbrushed out of it.
@Paul, very true.
Talleyrand Frye, As a product of the Irish system and a lover of history, i have first hand knowledge of what we where thought.. But thank you for the recommendation all the same.
Very gracious Emma….
I’m reading “Balls deep in Angelina” since we’re on the subject of literature….
Totally and comprehensively agree, but i ask this question, who wrote and who edited said history books, on both sides as this is very much hidden and sanitised. I believe the real history is yet to be revealed.
Fair play, time for the real truth
Are you enjoying it ?
It was a bit predictable Suzie.
Little in the way of character development, poor plot lines and no complex twists.
Excessive graphic descriptions of sexual acts seems to be all there is to it.
So yes…..
I’m enjoying iit immensely!
Watching the bbc earlier and they has this story of an English 12 year old that joined the British Army and fought in the Somme. He was found out and sent home..Don’t make them like that anymore…
@Eibhlin, brave lad no doubt,
We don’t know how lucky we have it these days!!
In some ways we do Andy, on the other hand we always harp back to the good old days. The great paradox of life.
When one visits any of the 90 or so British cemeteries you cant help but be struck by how many Irish surnames are on headstones…yet these men were in British Regiments and had enlisted in Britain.
Sure they might as well print a few stamps with the Queens Head on it the way things are going.
@Paul, don’t agree, these were Irish men , regardless of my beliefs, and I believe in a united 32 county Ireland, these men should be remembered and honoured, we all definitely have a past relative who fought, my Great Grandfather fought, still have his medals. These were brave men. But a United Ireland is a stronger Ireland, for all her people.
Conri…did your grandfather survive? Which regiment was he with?
My great grand dad fought in WWI also, and survived. I never had any talk of a medal. Or any other talk really. Although I’d love to explore more. He was younger than me and had a family to support.
@Peter, yes he survived, done the 4 years so wasn’t conscripted, shamefully I don’t know the regiment although it was Irish, his number is on his medals so will look it up some time, thanks for asking!!
Conri…you are very lucky,you and your children have an adventure ahead of you as you trace your grandfathers military history..his regiment,their battles,geographical meanderings,their heroes,defeats,their enemies,triumphs…and probably their disbanding and return to civilian life when they had to bury their experiences….
If you have his number you can look up his medal card to see his regiment and awards or post on the WW1 bulletin boards and those eager beavers with ancestry.com will check it out for you.
Apparently he fought on the Western Front initially, but ended up briefly towards the end of the war on the Eastern Front, fighting with the Whites against the Reds.
Cez…good input.keep posting.
@Jamie, doubt there’s any of us in this country who’s family done have someone who fought. We should all be proud of them, glad to see them on An Posts stamp.
@Cez, thanks
A lot of old Irish houses will have big brass shells as ornaments or used as containers for coal or turf buckets, you can get quite a lot of information from the imprinted numbers on the back.
Jamie…Now thats a story…i know some British units were sent to Russia but very little is known of their actions/travels/postings…i would love to hear more if you find out more…
Emma…im an amateur collector of those…
We all have very interesting ancestors, no doubt. We’ll meet them in the next world. Again.
A different war…but my grand uncle died in Algeria with the British in WW2. Just as many Irish fought this time as well.
Looks like there are a couple of Reds with a grudge in the room Jamie
Quite right Paul. In fact more men from the then Free State enlisted in WW2 than from “loyal Ulster”
Always say his name Peter – lest it be forgotten
My great grandfather fought as well, I have his war documents off ancestry.co.uk.
I know his battalion, I know the dates he was deployed, that he got dysentery in Gallipoli and was relocated to Malta to recuperate then sent home, the ships name is also given.
He was recalled for the battle of the Somme, his chest was crushed (as per medical notes) and he was discharged. We think it was due to an explosion however he never talked about the war ever, after returning home. My second cousin has his war medals.
I have also found a letter on line where one of my great granddads friends wrote home to his family and asked if there was any news on my great grandfather.
His brother fought too, as did his nephew.
My great grandmothers brother died after 3 months.
As did another great grandfathers brother.
Some war records are lost.
All my grandfathers brothers (4) fought in WW2 except my grandfather as he wasn’t medically fit, so he did the night watch for bombs and fires. One of his brothers suffered a self inflicted gunshot wound to the foot, when he shot himself cleaning his rifle.
My grandmothers only brother died 22 days after D Day in France.
My cousin fought in the 80s and was seriously injured.
I hope one day to travel to Normandy, Brittany and Belgium to visit the war memorials.
Mine , fought in the Somme and ww2 .he was never right after it . No doubt PTSD. Little or no support from Irish or British government after. My son is forbidden from joining any army. When old men want to argue ,instead of sending young men to their deaths .why don’t they kill each other instead.
Lily…great story.
Essential reading – SOMME…Hugh Sebag – Montefiore.exhaustive revisionist and addictive analysis of the historic battle from the soldiers/individuals perspectives.The Somme battlefield is an amazing place to visit for no less than 2 weeks AFTER months of reading.
We should not be commemorating Imperial wars.
But we should remember the Irish men that Volunteered. If you are anti imperialist you should celebrate and commemorate WW1. It destroyed the British cast system and brought down every major empire
It also destroyed the Irish caste system.
Dessie, these were young men who were sent to their deaths. Remember them always. Never be triumphalist though, I thoroughly agree.
Of course not Dessie…goodnight!
It isn’t the wars bud it is the fallen that are being commemorated, fathers brothers and sons (and daughters too).
Exactly Cez.
Should he not be celebrating the defeat of Imperial Germany and Austria-Hungary?
If it was a war that destroyed the cast system, remember that it was the generals which got the honours afterwards and the men were lucky if they got anything at all.
I just booked to go to Brussels to visit Dochy Farm for my great grandfather’s 99th anniversary. My grandad never got to meet him because he wasn’t born when he went to fight. I’m really looking forward to it. I’ll be the first person from the family to visit. Gonna be so emotional.
I envy you Dog….enjoy.bring back souvenirs.
I’d say it will be so humbling. I’ve been saying to myself for years that I’ll go. It’s one of those things that u say you’ll do but never get round to. I think his memory deserves more than just lip service. I’m so delighted for myself that I’m doing it. That I’m going to achieve something I’ve promised him and myself silently for years. It’s overwhelming.
So many deaths and for so little purpose. Lions led by donkies.
The First World War was mass insanity. It produced the 2nd world war, the rise of fascism and the attempted genocide of Jews in middle Europe.
It was the slaughter of so many, preceded by the misery of the trenches, poison gas, nasty and brutish conflict.
I saw one moving programme. A journalist checked on his grandfather a General in the First World war. He saw the idiocy and the wilful, inhumane and casual condemnation of vast number of soldiers to sacrificial death.
The first step in any war should be to kill your own generals. Then move down the senior officer ranks until the officers understand the message. Disrespect authority and obey no orders. No one is better than any one else.
Meehaul O’Troll.
Human life is too valuable to be so casually sacrificed.
“Human life is sacred” says the man who just advocated the murder of anyone who dares to be a commissioned officer (on his own bloody side!)
In the First World War, the generals were the enemies of the young soldiers and of the young officers.
Wars are never noble or brave. Wars are an obscenity. Wars are savage and cruel.
The deaths of a few generals and officers would be a sad thing but a sensible method of self defence.
I remember a retired brigadier surgeon in the British army make the point that the nature of armed conflict is so horrendous that no sane or sensible person would voluntarily expose themselves to such butchery and brutality.
In war, every soldier is exploited for the benefit of the privileged.
Wars are fought by young men and young men’s lives are treated by some generals as pawns or confetti.
The First World War was an exercise in industrial scale slaughter. It was just 2 imperial forces competing for prestige.
Better a few generals die than millions of soldiers.
In Vietnam, some reckless officers were fragged by their own soldiers so as to avoid their own deaths. I would defend that.
The reason that you g men are used as fodder in wars is that they are impressionable and lack independent critical faculties.
Generals, Colonels, Majors and Captains do not declare war. That’s down to civilian politicians. And you clearly advocated killing as many officers as necessary, of all ranks, until they “understand the message”
And what is “the message” exactly? We refuse to defend our country? You’ve a funny idea about soldiers
The Somme was one of the biggest wastes of Irish lives and one of the most important reasons why Ireland had to leave the British Empire.
This Royal Irish Rifles photo is a good choice for the Somme Centenary stamp, they suffered badly on Day 1 of the battle. The First Day Edition features an image of advancing troops with rifles shouldered. This was also taken on Day 1 and is of the Tyneside Irish Battallion who were decimated that first morning. God help and rest them all. https://www.irishstamps.ie/shop/popup.aspx?src=images/Product/large/1660.jpg
The sunken road…
Cez….you know the Somme battle.its your hobby.
18,000 men killed on the First day of the Battle. Any modern General that lost that many troops on the first day of an offensive would likely be facing a Courts Marshall the second day for incompetence. “Lions led by Donkeys” was very apt.
Courts-Martial.
That photograph is offensive. Privileged white males with their rape stares. How about stamps for the real gender queer heros?
Thonk you need lesve to room quietly and go see somepne qualified to help you – i don’t thomk red thimbs are gomna be enough. Of course it could just be plain ignorance in which case you really are in trouble.
Cez failed to spot the irony. Unsurprising.
The war to end all war’s ,there is something in the human gene that makes us look to hero’s be they lad’s that fought in the war of independence at the GPO or the lad’s that fought in the First World War
Very sad indeed to think of the losses from every community in a war that even today many Irish people refuse to accept. There were forty one men killed in WW1 from our town and there has never been an attempt to commemorate their loss.
There has in mine though only in the last two years. My husbands great uncle is on that wall.
What town is that Chris?
Seems a lot of folks on here have connections with the Somme & WW1. Perhaps you should grab those old medals and get slow to one of these
http://www.decadeofcentenaries.com/1-july-2016-military-ceremony-to-mark-centenary-of-battle-of-the-somme-irish-national-war-memorial-gardens-islandbridge-dublin-8/
Or
http://www.decadeofcentenaries.com/9-july-2016-state-ceremony-to-mark-centenary-of-the-battle-of-the-somme-irish-national-war-memorial-gardens-islandbridge-dublin-8/
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