EIRE: Easter Medals

The most neutral people in Europe today are the fighting Irish. Last week as two hemispheres held their breath watching the racing brush fire of World War II sweep across the Balkans and Africa, tradition-steeped Irish were very busy honoring the heroes of a strictly private fight of 25 years ago.

To Catholic Eire, Easter time is a historical as well as a religious holiday. On Good Friday, 1014, King Brian Boru lost his life smashing the Vikings, who for two centuries had raided Ireland. On Easter Monday, 1916 (one day behind schedule) began the brief, bitter, bloody rising that...

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