This timely and compelling book records the experiences of Irishmen from
South County Dublin who fought in World War I, while also accounting for
the lives of their families who remained at home. Principally a social
history, the main body of the book is broken up into seven chapters that
each disclose the history of a particular district in South Dublin.
These local histories expand upon the background of the families
subsequently related, providing a fascinating portrait of the lives that
soldiers left behind. The Roll of Honor covers individuals with riveting
life stories and tales of anecdotal intrigue. Families of interesting
power and wealth are included, such as the great merchant families of
Dublin at the time: the Dockrells, Findlaters, Lees, Martins, and
McCormicks. The book also provides an illuminating history of Ireland's
involvement in World War I generally, and how the war and its fighters
have been subsequently recognized within Irish society. Reasons for
enlistment, the effect of Gallipoli and the Easter Rising, as well as
examples of how ex-British servicemen were treated when they returned
home to Ireland following the end of the war - all are accounted for in
this fascinating history that highlights the enduring contentions
related to Ireland's involvement in 'the Great War.'
