THE RIC HAVEN'T GONE AWAY, YOU KNOW

Is the past ever behind us? This week a major furore was kicked up over a planned commemoration for members of the Royal Irish Constabulary and the Dublin Metropolitan Police, both of which had operated in Ireland prior to Independence in 1922. The controversy ultimately prompted the government to cancel the commemoration.But what did the reaction to the proposal say about how society in the Republic of Ireland remembers the past and particularly the years of violent upheaval that led to the establishment of the state? Were the RIC as bad as they were painted on social media as the controversy raged? Should the police forces, made up largely of Irish recruits, be commemorated at all? What does all this say about the difficult centenary years the state is now facing into? And how much of the controversy was driven by uninformed comment and anger purveyed on social media?To explore these questions about then and now, Mick was joined by Dr Mary McAuliffe, historian and lecturer in gender studies in UCD.

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