Ireland's recognition of Armistice Day is now official, and after 80 years the loss of 50,000 lives is being acknowledged. It was not always so. Tom Burke, chairman of the Dublin Fusiliers Association, said at Mesen this week that even last year when two local villages organised a week of Irish culture to commemorate their Irish associations, Bord Failte was totally indifferent and Wexford Co Council - contacted because Wexford is the birthplace of Maj Willie Redmond, who is buried in Locre - didn't even reply to a request for a representative.
While acknowledging the huge change, Senator Mary Henry says she was sad that more Oireachtas members were not wearing a poppy to support the President, Mrs McAleese, in Flanders. But the ceremonies did come up for honourable mention in the Dail, and in the Seanad, FF's Pascal Mooney even proposed a minute's silence for the fallen and FG's Maurice Manning proposed statements. The senator bought her poppy at the 1798 Aras in Enniscorthy recently. Changed times indeed.