The idiots who vandalised the wonderfully evocative Haunting Soldier statue in St Stephen’s Green in Dublin have inadvertently done us all a favour. Many people regard Irish involvement in the British Army in the First World War as a shameful chapter in our history. That is a view held by individuals who would never dream of using paint to reinforce that message. In many ways, it is surprising that the commemoration of the Armistice attracted such little protest. Nowhere is that more vividly illustrated than in the Dublin suburb of Drumcondra, where I happen to live.

Source: The Times November 30, 2018 00:22 UTC