A member of Kneecap—the Belfast based hip hop group—has given an interesting explanation for why Irish people instinctively support the Palestinians.  When the War of Independence ended in 1921 the Auxiliaries and the Black and Tans did not disband.  They were dispatched to Palestine by the Empire to keep the natives in order in preparation for the Zionist project.  The oppression of the Palestinians is ingrained in the memory of Irish people for generations. 

In some cases, the Auxiliaries consisted of Irish people who for whatever reason had turned against their own.  An example of this is the father of the famous comedian Dave Allen.  “Dave Allen” was, of course, his stage name.  His real name was David Tynan O’Mahony, and his father was Cullen “Pussy” O’Mahony.  After serving with the Auxiliaries, the father enlisted in Britain’s Palestine Police Force to undertake operations in Mandatory Palestine. 

He later joined The Irish Times where he rose to the rank of Managing Editor. 

In books about The Irish Times O’Mahony’s membership of the Auxiliaries and the Palestine Police Force is hardly mentioned at all.   Such books prefer to portray the newspaper as being full of lovable eccentrics.  A discreet veil is drawn over the nasty politics that is behind the benign appearance of things.

John Martin