Speech by Taoiseach Micheál Martin at state event to mark those who died during the Civil War

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A Uachtaráin, a Thánaiste, a Aire, a bhaill an Oireachtais, agus a chairde.

Fearaim fáilte mhór romhaibh go léir um thráthnóna, chuig an ócáid chultúrtha mhachnaimh rí-thábhachtach seo. Táimid tagtha le chéile chun comóradh a dhéanamh orthu siúd a fuair bás le linn an Chogadh Cathartha, agus chun machnamh níos leithne a dhéanamh ar an tréimhse seo sa stair.

Over the past decade we have come together to remember many moments of great pride and celebration for our country.

Gathering in crowds of all sizes we have shown our respect and gratitude to a great generation of men and women – a generation who gave so much to ensure that the name of Ireland would ring out amongst the free nations of the world.

But a measure of the true strength of a society is whether it can also embrace the challenge of remembering more painful history. Can it do so openly, with respect and a willingness to see beyond black and white narratives to the colour and shade which is the reality of all societies.

It is in the cause of what the President has called ethical remembrance that this year we have marked the civil war, a dark moment in our history which no one will ever celebrate. The President’s Machnamh series has illuminated and helped the cause of reflection so much.

More recently at UCC to broaden and deepen knowledge of the events and personalities of the time, new scholarship has been supported and brought together in a major international conference.

Even though their experiences are often emotionally difficult to read, a new voice has been given to many who have passed by making archives accessible to all.

And this event is a collective moment, for families connected to those who fought in the civil war and for those who hold positions of trust in our democratic republic, to come together. To remember. To reflect, and show that even moments of division and regret must be accepted as part of our national story.

In spite of being such a critical moment in our history, we have done too little to engage with our civil war – all too often limiting ourselves to handful of personalities and events and missing the complexity and context which is central to real engagement with the past.

This was a time when conflicts were occurring throughout Europe. 27 states saw a violent transfer of power as part of the most concentrated period of state building and civil conflict ever seen.

Ireland was not alone in seeing violence break out between former comrades, but Ireland’s civil war was unique in many other ways.

The differences between what became opposing sides were to our eyes small, but let no one doubt their sincerity or the fact they were based on a shared commitment to a sovereign and independent Ireland.

Perhaps the greatest tragedy of 1922 is that if our respective leaders had been allowed a freer hand, a compromise was clearly possible up to almost the last moment. Yet those sitting in London continued to interfere and to block hopes for peace. They also acted to reinforce the artificial partition of this island which had been imposed two years earlier.

The ultimate outcome of the war was clear after two months, with many historians pointing out how this opening period differed so dramatically to what happened later.

The deep sense of a shared struggle remained – with many examples of leaders mourning the killing of opponents.

Tragically this changed.

The greatest source of division, of anger and of trauma came from terrible months of reprisals and outrages which followed September 1922.

It is there that we find actions that still shock. Actions which no state and no political tradition could ever be proud of. They did not secure our state and they did not further the cause of Irish sovereignty.

When Dick Barrett, Liam Mellows, Rory O’Connor and Joe McKelvey were executed it was manifestly illegal and it damaged the standing and authority of the new state. It was a radicalising and destructive moment.

But it is also essential to acknowledge the full picture. For example, the murder of Deputy Seán Hales was manifestly wrong and promoted no positive cause.

In April 1923 one TD Liam De Roiste confided to his diary his pain at what he could see happening around him. To him a basic lack of empathy was emerging which was giving a sharpness to the conflict, observing “both sides are silent when the murder is committed by their own supporters”.

One of the themes which a brilliant new generation of scholars has pointed to is that there remained enough sense of a shared society that an enduring democratic culture came to define independent Ireland.

Once it was over no one wanted it to return – and never again would any party advocating conflict win more than 4% in an election.

Things were put back together and we avoided the devastating extremism of the mid-twentieth century.

We continued to change governments through democratic elections.

In Europe we joined the strongest Union of democracies ever seen.

We went from being the poorest country in Europe to one whose population and economy has grown dramatically and where major challenges remain, but so too is the ability to overcome them.

In this modern era which is increasingly defined by sharp division and a growing tendency to dismiss or question the good faith of those who think differently from you, we would be well served to step back and remember the damage that this can cause.

From 1916 and our revolutionary generation we have inherited a powerful tradition which calls for us to seek a shared identity in diversity.

It is that spirit which helped our country so quickly to move on from the civil war and it is that enduring spirit in which we should remember a terrible period in our history.

Ní ag tosú ó bhonn atáimid maidir le machnamh, cneasú agus athmhuintearas, ach ag cur leis na céimeanna beaga atá tógtha againn ar an mbóthar seo le blianta fada anuas – ag teacht ar leigheas do na deighiltí a tharla i dteaghlaigh, idir chomharsana agus inár bpobail. Is iad seo na háiteanna ina bhfuil fíor-athmhuintearas ag fás.