A Coward if I Return, A Hero if I Fall

IRELAND’S FORGOTTEN LEGACY In 1914-1918, two hundred thousand Irishmen from all religions and backgrounds went to war. At least thirty-five thousand never came home. An award-winning collection of veterans’ stories as told by the families, with military records, surviving documents and letters.

---

IRELAND’S FORGOTTEN LEGACY In 1914-1918, two hundred thousand Irishmen from all religions and backgrounds went to war. At least thirty-five thousand never came home. Those that did were scarred for the rest of their lives. Many of these survivors found themselves abandoned and ostracised by their countrymen, their voices seldom heard.



The book includes:





The first Victoria Cross
Leading the way at Gallipoli and the Somme
North and South fighting side by side at Messines Ridge
Ireland’s flying aces
Brothers-in-arms – heart-rending stories of family sacrifice
The lucky escapes of some; the tragic end of others
The homecoming – why there was no hero’s welcome


 



Includes over 300 photographs and items of memorabelia from the lives of these brave men and their families.



An important book that opened up the conversation in Ireland about our role in World War I. Updated, and with a new introduction.