70 Years Ago Today

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

The Irish Government at the time (privately) viewed the bombings as an act of retaliation for having sent every fire engine and fire man from Dublin to the boarder to Belfast to fight the fires started by German air raids. My neighbor's father (Herr Klissmann) was attached to the German Embassy during the war, and he said that after the last bombing the representatives of the Irish government came right out and told the German ambassador that if one more bomb fell on Irish soil, it would mean a declaration of war. He added that the language used by the Irish representatives was anything but diplomatic, with the F-Bomb being dropped more than once. Hitler's government had never been broadly popular with the Irish, and with this incident opinion turned decidedly against the Germans.

The face-saver was the public acceptance of an apology by Germany and the immediate offer of reparations, which offer was officially accepted by the Irish Government.

The amazing thing-- to me at least-- were the number of teenagers I used to speak with in Dublin who had no knowledge of the Dublin bombings... ancient (and forgotten) history, I guess.

In answer to Mike's question, during the war my family was busy fighting the Nazis, and the Japs (historically, if not politically, correct) and so nobody was home when Ireland was attacked and (I am happy to say) we lost neither property nor loved ones in the raids, our part of County Wicklow being well away from all of the excitement!.