WORK OF IRISH REGIMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16205, 15 April 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

WORK OF IRISH REGIMENTS.

I ,Not long ago Mr. John . Redmond , com' plained in the House of Commons of the '. somewhat " remarkable absence'of..official recognition -of-..the' gallant exploits of 'theIrish ; regiments iin the present \ war. i The result of ;. this official reticence was, -'as' : Mr.' Redmond pointed out, that the people of Ireland—and, indeed, Irish folk all the world over—knew practically nothing of : the brave deeds of their own famous regiments' in the titanic struggle of the nations "now i going ■ on. -■ , Yet, .in : fact, . the Irish-regiments have,; maintained, and far more 'than maintained, their magnificent traditions of courage and - capacity in the field. 1 : The first book toi be published on their exploits is 'Mr. S. Paraell /Kerf's | "What the Irish Regiments have Done," and has been brought out by Mr. Unwin.' It is likely to take ' rank as a. work "of permanent historic value// Mr. Parne 1 Kerr, himself an Irishman, tells 'something of the moving story: of the heroism of the Irish regiments, not only in the long drawn-out struggle in France and Flanders, but also at the Dardanelles and in the Balkans. The book is prefaced by Mr. John Redmond's diary of his, visit to .the front, a document of great' interest and full of vivid impressions. Particularly notable is Mr. Redmond's account of a speech made under fire: — "The Minister Fusiliers' were paraded and drawn up in a hollow square, and Major-General Rawlinson introduced me to the troops ■ and asked me to address them. They had marched on to thcground playing the "Wearing of the Green* on their,band of Irish war-pipe; and carrying a green Irish flag. - " There was a battery of British ' antiaircraft guns on my left, about 40yds away, and a battery of 75mm. French guns about 40yds on my right. "After I had spoken a few sentences, the battery on my left rang out with startling suddenness, and we then became awaro that there was a hostile German Taube aeroplane right over our heads. "From that on until the end of .my speech the British guns on the one side and the French guns on the other fired shrapnel shells at the Taube at regular intervals. It, was a strange experience for me, to have my speech punctuated, not by applause, but by the roar of guns situated only a few yards from where I-was standing, It.was a marvellous exhibition of the discipline and steadiness of the men that, while this firing was taking place, not one of them even lifted' his head to look in the sky at the aeroplane, hut remained absolutely passive at attention. "When I had finished my speech, the men cheered lustily, and marched away, playing ' O'Donnell Aboo.'" / "It has been claimed," says Mr. Redmond, "that the old 15th Royal Irish Regiment was.the first which made, 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary' so popular with the troops. I am told this song is sung by both the Belgian and French troops, and that its strains are even heard coming from the German trenches."