134 Irish War Heroes Honored by Commonwealth

0:00It's March 29th, you're listening to Europe News today, AI-powered coverage from across the continent. I'm Cory with the story. The Commonwealth War Grays Commission just added 134 Irish men to its World War II role of honor. These guys were Mariners and Fishermen who died from enemy attacks, even though Ireland stayed neutral back then. Now their names are officially recognized alongside other Commonwealth casualties. Ireland had dominion status in the Commonwealth during the war. So these losses from German torpedoes, aircraft fire and mines qualify under the Commission's Royal Charter. That charter demands recording everyone who faced the enemy and didn't make it, no exceptions. Ian Denham and his end from the coal group spent over 25 years digging into this. They started with the Irish merchant Siemens Memorial in Dublin, where no merchant navy names were listed about 10 years ago. Their push finally got these sacrifices the spotlight they deserved. Just days ago, the Commission greenlit the full list, meaning gravestones, memorials or

1:05a searchable database will keep their memory alive forever. Denham's thrilled, calling it the ultimate nod to men who were just doing their jobs in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Looking ahead, a dozen more Irish names could join soon, including two sailors with known graves. This wraps up a long fight to ensure no one from that era gets forgotten.