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THE RECRUITMENT OFFICES in Dublin during 1915 played on Irish men’s emotions as they tried to convince potential soldiers to sign up.
Guilt or scare tactics were quite commonly used in recruitment posters commissioned by the Department of Recruiting for Ireland.
Other ideas to lure young men to the front used included camaraderie, hero worship and revenge.
There was also an attempt to emasculate those who did not volunteer for an Irish regiment.
About 49,000 Irish men and women died in World War I. Altogether, up to 350,000 men from Ireland served in the British forces. Many volunteered, some were conscripted while living in the UK and others joined US, Canadian and Australian units.
The Library of Congress in the US has digitised some of the posters used to help recruit more soliders to the Front:
1915. (Image: Hely’s Limited, Litho., Dublin/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.)
1915. (Image: David Allen & Sons Ltd., 40, Great Brunswick St., Dublin/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.)
A 1915 poster from the Department of Recruiting for Ireland. (Image: Alex. Thom & Co., Ltd., Dublin/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.)
A 1915 poster from the Central Council for the Organisation of Recruiting in Ireland. (Image: M’Caw, Stevenson & Orr, Ltd., Dublin & Belfast/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.)
A 1915 poster from the Department of Recruiting for Ireland. (Image: Alex. Thom & Co., Ltd., Dublin/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.)
1915. (Image: Hely’s Limited, Litho, Dublin/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.)
A 1915 poster from the Central Council for the Organisation of Recruiting in Ireland. (Image: M’Caw, Stevenson & Orr, Ltd., Dublin & Belfast/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.)
A 1915 poster from the Central Council for the Organisation of Recruiting in Ireland. (Image: M’Caw, Stevenson & Orr, Ltd., Dublin & Belfast/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.)
1915. (Image: W.E.T. ; John Shuley & Co., Dublin/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.)
1915. (Image: Chorley & Pickersgill Ltd., Leeds and London/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.)
1915. (Image: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.)
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These men were intensely brave but ultimately were cannon fodder when sent from the trenches.
Poor eejits that died for Generals that would have been just as happy to turn the rifles on their families as the Germans.
Seanie, drink will never compensate for a lack of education. Sober up and be suitably ashamed of your ignorant post.
Says the fianna fail cult member.
If all wars are useless, this one was the worst?
Better to die beneath an irish sky.
Better not to die at all!
Yes Niall but if you had to choose between fighting and dying for Ireland or fighting for our enemy in some bullshit rich mans war.
Most of them are bullshit rich man wars. When have the poor ever profited from war?
You dont win wars by dying for your country.You win wars by making sure some poor son of a bitch dies for his! Gen George S Patton.
The Irish all know how to die for Ireland.To fight for it,they haven’t a clue!
Hermann Goretz Abwehr agent and IRA liasion in Ireland 1942.
Somthing the green tinted glasses wearing lot amongst us should learn by now.
seem to do all right against one of the biggest empires the world has ever seen and quite possibley invented modern guerrila warfare dagnet and instead of harping on about green tinted glasses try actually read a history book instead of throwing around quotes to back up your obvious bias
What “history book” should I read Hibernicus..Your Irish” we bate the Brits” IRA Republican bull shit type history?And NO the Irish didnt invent gureilla warfare.It was the Spanish gureilla translated means the small war.Nor did you beat the British empire.. You took the sensible offer before England dumped over 750 thousand armed troops and all its war material into the country and turned this bog into a desert of ruins. DSo please go away now and polish the very smeared lenses of the green dlasses you are wearing,or better still go to spec savers and get a new pair.
And I’ll throw in another quote.Just for you..
“The truth??You cant handle the truth.”
You seem to hold little regard for this “bog” as you called it. If you don’t like it careful that the door doesn’t hit you in the arse on the way out.
You can gladly keep it,once my parents die ,I’m off this god forsaken rock..Even as an Irish man I am totally ASHAMED of my country these days.If I could renounce my Irish citizenship I would .
It’s the same sky everywhere.
You can take up the citizenship of whatever country you end up in. Btw I hope your parents live for a long time.
Some of the bravest men who died were merchant seamen trying to feed this nation.
It’s amazing how the simpleton bumpkin stereotype prevails in so many of these. I’m sure they’d have much more success if they cut to the chase with a few of these:
“Irishmen – you’ve no money. You’re family will probably die of cholera. Join the army and they’ll get by!*
*You personally may get mustard gassed into oblivion”
“Ireland – rubbish at rebellions against the British? Fight with them today, get paid and learn their tricks then run your own rebellion in six years time!”
“Save poor independent Belgium! They were absolute a$$holes in the Congo and your grandchildren will be fighting theirs as a result. So sign up today. It’ll be a laugh or something”
Guy should be saying to your wan with the rifle in one of those posters..” You got the gun,you go! I’ve only a sthick!”
“War does not determine who is right – only who is left.” – Bertrand Russell.
Why is it always about “freedom”?
Obviously you have never experienced slavery?
What has slavery got to do with the imperialistic clusterf@ck that was WWI?
And you have I suppose ??
please go answer the question alan ?? i could do with a good giggle
Load of baloney.
War is war
Nobody wins
I’d rather die on my own soil.
We’ve done that before. !!!
They are starting to look like stickie election posters
Pity we couldn’t send the 400k on welfare off to some war as cannon fodder, everyone would benefit. We would get rid of the nothing people and stimulate growth at the same time
Good…We’ll start with you first “ironman”
The enemy of my enemy is my friend
If you died on your own soil before how come you are still able to comment here? Is this proof of life after death?
is you are obtuse to point of stupidity,is that proof stupidity through out life ??
So I pose the question…
If an Irish Taoiseach (bearing in mind this was a British Government putting up the posters) was to call us to arms tomorrow, how any people would be willing to give up their life? No judgement, no nothing…just an honest answer please. And I’ll start…absolutely no way would I do it given the way this country has turned out since independence. Again…no judgements please…just honest answers.
It depends Jim.
If it was to make some part of a foreign field forever Irish for some expansionist, imperial dream.
Not a hope.
If it was to prevent an army from raping and pillaging county Waterford or my homeland. Show me the front line!
Fair point
WHY would you want to “die for Ireland” This place is a disgusting,corrupt ,parochical,smug, self centered ,hyprocritical KIP!!
Wow, you can really see all the cowards are out today.
A waste of life. rest now.
100 years onn the Germans. Are our rulers so what did the 50000 die for
Dont forget they[the Germans] were your “gallant Allies from overseas.”
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