● Thousands more joined the British Army, Navy and Air Force. Added to the 20,000 Irishmen in the British Army at the beginning of the war, there were 110,000 volunteers during the war.
● There were 66,000 volunteers from the south of Ireland, and 64,000 volunteers from Northern Ireland. About 7,500 of those died in the war.
● There were nine Irish winners of the Victoria Cross, including one from Northern Ireland.
Analysing Sources – Cartoons
Are the people of the house using the gas?
Is the glimmer man being mocked or laughed at?
Are the people of the house shocked? Surprised? Afraid?
Gas inspectors (or glimmer men) inspected the use of gas in houses to ensure everybody obeyed the rules on rationing gas. This cartoon was published in the humorous magazine Dublin Opinion during the Emergency, 1939–45.
What does this cartoon say about the attitude of people to the glimmer men?
Fuel shortages and travel restrictions affected attendances at GAA matches. However, All-Ireland finals in hurling and football were held each year during the war. This is a report from the Irish Independent on Monday 8 September 1941, on the All-Ireland Football Final. Why did people cycle to see the All- Ireland final that year?