Youth Perspective on the War of Independence and its Legacy

Presentation by Jack Ryan 2021

This presentation focuses on the War of Independence from a youth perspective, examining the lessons that may be learned from this period in Irish history, and examining how this history is presented to young people in the Irish education system. It asks if the experience of Unionists and Protestants in early 20th century Ireland has been adequately recounted and represented, and contends that such representation is now more important than ever. This speaker, in examining his generation’s distance in terms of time and emotive effect, from the violence of the 1919 – 1921 period, contends that this distance may offer an objectivity that brings about a greater understanding between communities, or conversely creates a detachment that permits the discord of history to become a reality once again.