By Martin Hintz

Yet, as Buckley likes to emphasize, Military Heritage Tours is much, much more. “We are passionately committed to the peace process in Ireland and believe that through proper education, many problems will be solved and many preconceived notions, myth and propaganda will be banished,” emphasized Buckley. “We do not deal with terrorist groups or their political organizations that have bombed and shot their way to international headlines over the last three decades.”

He pointed out that “all of us on the Island of Ireland and in Britain were subjected to versions of history that were one-sided and never gave an objective view of the other. We are very much believers in reconciliation through education. 

“History as we all know is written by the victors and much airbrushing is done when the dust has settled. This leads to myth and propaganda and strife as we know only too well in Ireland.”

Looking at Irish History, he went on, the way the victors wrote it post-Independence, one would think that a very few misguided or worthless and hungry, even treacherous Irish people joined the British Forces. “This is so wrong. In the 20th century alone, an enormous number of people joined up,” Buckley indicated. He said that In WWI, an estimated 250,000 people joined and 50,000 fell. “And, yes,” Buckley continued, “the majority were Southern Catholic.

In WWII, 165,000 citizens of the Free State (which became the Republic) joined the British Army, according to Buckley. He added that this figure did not include RAF, Royal Navy, other Commonwealth forces or American forces. This figure does, however, include 8,000 Irish army soldiers who deserted and joined the British army when it became apparent that they were not going to see the action they trained for, he said, because the Free State was overtly neutral from 1939 to 1945.

The tradition of Irish fighting alongside the British goes back centuries, Buckley pointed out. At one stage in the 19th century, the British Army was 40% Irish and in the Peninsular Wars, the majority of British troops were Irish, he said. 

“However, much to our shame, we have forgotten. The enormous Irish effort in WWI, which effected every town, village and family was written out of history. The soldiers who did return were like American troops returning from Vietnam...a totally changed political climate. These men were at best ignored and at worst killed as they were mistrusted,” Buckley said.

Those who fought with the Allies in WWII never rated a mention, he complained. 

“Suffice it to say that many Irish Americans will have had relations who served in the British forces. I am telling them now that they should hold up their heads and be counted. Be proud of the contribution and do not be afraid to mention or to find out and maybe we can bring you to your soldier's grave, he added.

Buckley encouraged tour participants and others not to not rush to judgment and conclusion about who served in which army. “I served in the Irish Army and was very proud to do so. And I have tremendous respect for the volunteers who fought so well in the War of Independence. I called my house Woodfield, after the birthplace of Michael Collins,” he said.

“I am proud to be an Irishman and a citizen of the Republic. I took an oath of allegiance and served her forces for 22 years,” he said. “But let's not do an injustice to our ancestors. I have family that served in the Old IRA, the British army, the US forces, the Australian army and the South African army, even the French Foreign Legion. I am not unusual,” Buckley continued. 

“We Irish get everywhere,” he emphasized. “I don't regard any of my ancestors as traitors for serving another country. We had a British government for 700 years and like it or not, that it the way it was. I was the first Irish Army officer as a result of being born in a certain place at a certain time,” he explained.

According to Buckley, many foreign visitors were confused about the sequence of events in 20th century Ireland. “They confuse the Old IRA which fought with the democratic mandate of the majority of the Irish people and led by Michael Collins and terrorist organizations who have their own mandate over the last 30 years,” he said.

Also there was confusion about the sequence of events that led to the War of Independence from 1919 to 1921 and the Civil War of 1922-1923, he said. Buckley added that questions were asked about the establishment of the Free State and it's leading to a Republic., the roles of General Michael Collins and DeValera and when and why the border started.

Buckley said that with the broadening of horizons in Ireland, it is now possible to speak about these subject. Subsequently, he formed his company to highlight military history in all its bends and loops. “We represent all traditions on the island of Ireland and follow the trail of the Irish soldier, no matter what uniform he wore or wears,” he offered.

Buckley said that his tour company has already made much progress with cross-border relations. Among its projects, the firm held a military heritage seminar in Mayo with people from both sides of the Irish border

The company has taken tour participants to locations and institutions in Northern Ireland, a move which could not have happened before due to the political and social climate, he said. A lecture on the 1916 Rising was also delivered to to a Unionist group in Northern Ireland. Military Heritage Tours then brought a Unionist group on a heritage tour to the Republic.

In addition, Buckley accepted an invitation from the Royal Irish Regiment of the British Army, tour its depot in Northern Ireland. He is also working on establishing closer links with museums in Northern Ireland “These examples might seem not too extraordinary to the outsider, but believe me, these events could not have happened some very few years ago,” Buckley exclaimed. Included in the tour offerings are: 

• Battle of Yellow Ford 1598 
• Battle of Kinsale 1601 
• The Cromwellian Wars 1649/51 
• The Williamite Wars 1689/91 (Boyne, Aughrim Athlone etc.) 
• The Wild Geese 
• The 1798 Revolution 
• The Irish Tradition in the British Army 
• World War 1 
• The 1916 Rising 
• The War of Independence 1919/21 
• The Civil War 1922 

A group ethos really comes into play on tour, Buckley added. “We travel together, dine together, and stay together and it never takes long for the group to bond well. We bring you on tours in Ireland that are off the tourist trail and bring you deep into the Irish countryside. You will also get the opportunity to visit Irish pubs for lunch and at night, and some spare time to shop,” he indicated. Specialty tours can also be developed.

The tours are composed of very mixed groups, according to Buckley, who said that currently most participants are Irish, so he includes Northern Irish and citizens of the Republic. in his figures. Others include British and Irish service people, including active and retired personnel. He said that those who have not served in the military, but who have a passionate interest in historical matters also take his excursions.

“Many people would have relatives who served in conflicts in Ireland and abroad. We also had a very interesting American group whose knowledge and depth of understanding of this most complex country was very impressive,” he said. “We toured for eight days and covered every major event from the Battle of the Yellow Ford 1598 in Co. Armagh to the death of Michael Collins in West Cork in 1922. Driving 1,500 miles in Ireland, in that time frame, was an experience,” he laughed.

“The majority of tour goers are male, but I would not say that this is a fixed trend. According as more and more history students see what we are offering, the gender balance will even out,” he indicated.

Buckley served in the Irish army from 1975 to 1997, with stints on the border with Northern Ireland, as well as had two tours of duty in Lebanon in 1983 and 1990 with an Irish infantry battalion. He had an eight-month assignment in Western Sahara on the cease-fire line between the POLISARIO and the Moroccan Army in 1995. There he was a military observer alongside US forces whom he described as “very professional officers and very good friends.” His partner, Martin, served in a Border Reserve unit for 40 years. 

Lecturers come from a variety of backgrounds, according to Buckley. Some are professional historians, some are military or retired military, some live in the locality of the particular subject. All have one thing in common, they have a deep knowledge and love for their subject, he stressed.

For Buckley and Martin, 2004 should be a very busy year. “We are running the War of Independence and the General Michael Collins West Cork Trail, The Williamite Wars, 1916 Rising in Dublin, and other home tours on demand,” he said. These tours last from two to four days, costing about Euro 400. Group rates can be negotiated.

Their tour company is also planning on going to the WWI battle sites in Belgium in May, Normandy D-Day in June and Arnhem, Holland, in October. The average price for one of these four-to-six day tours is about Euro 750.

When You Go: Military Heritage Tours, Ltd., 353 94 903 1344; http://www.militaryheritagetours.com