Easter Rising

[Ceilteach]

Sorry guys I don't know if this is the correct forum for this.

Do many people wear something to show respect for the people who died for Irelands freedom in Ireland and is it very popular? Like when the Brits wear the poppy.

Go raibh maith agaibh.

[Amach na Casca]

The Easter lily is worn to commemorate our patriots.

[Big Bobo]

Obviously the easter lily

I myself wear an armband to honour the dead of the glorious red army in Afghanistan.

[Munion]

I wear a large bronze helmet to honour the fallen at the Battle of Marathon.

[Ceilteach]

I remember the lily, thanks!

Is it very common in Ireland to wear one, do they sell them with charity boxes etc?

[Cael]

I remember the lily, thanks!

Is it very common in Ireland to wear one, do they sell them with charity boxes etc?

The Easter Lilly was first designed by Cumann na mBan in the late 1920's and distributed to raise money for the relatives of POWs. It has always been a symbol of the Republican Movement and wearing one is an opportunity to show your appreciation for Ireland's patriots - past and present.

[Kiss]

I have a confederate flag.

[Starkadder]

I have a confederate flag.

I suspect you don't have many black friends then.

[RBinge]

The Lily is generally sold by Sinn Fein supporters and unfortunately is now seen as a Party symbol by those who do not support the SF party. Going back to the 1970s I believe that after the split between Official and Provisional Sinn Fein the Officials (later the Workers' Party) sold stick on lilies and the Provisionals (the present day Sinn Fein) sold paper lilies that were held on by a Pin - hence the early nicknames of Stickies and Pinheads for the opposing wings of the Republican movement.

The name Sticky stuck - so to speak

However, as the 1970s wore on and the Officials split again into feuding wings and the Provos got stuck into actions that caused a lot of non-combatant deaths, middle Ireland abandoned the Lily, by and large. To wear the Lily for some meant that the wearer supported a United Ireland by any means necessary, including the killing of innocents. "You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs" was a phrase heard often in the 1970s whenever an IRA supporter was challenged about actions like La Mon, Bloody Friday or proxy bombs.

Having said that, there are some, including Labour, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael supporters that I know of who would buy a Lily. At this stage, a long time down the road after the ceasefires, many of us would be a lot more comfortable about the Lily and perhaps would wear one, as long as they were sure that the money wasn't in danger of going to the Cokes or the Contos.

[drbob1972]

The Lily is generally sold by Sinn Fein supporters and unfortunately is now seen as a Party symbol by those who do not support the SF party.

and thus why most of us don't wear one, the difference between the poppy (which i wear some times) and the lily is that the lily has been made a political statement where as the poppy is generally regarded as apolitical and in support of those whom were killed / maimed from WW1 onwards.