1916 Memorial Military Parade

The Irish (generally speaking) seem to be proud of their history. The Celtic origins were followed by Viking raids and the English conquest which brought forth centuries of struggles. Famous examples after the many conflicts in hte 16th and 17th century are the 1798 Republican uprising, the rebellions of 1803 and 1848 and most importantly the Easter Rebellion of 1916 which paved the way to national independence. So it is easy to understand that in 2016, military parades were held to honour the historical moment and the fallen national heroes.

First, a detachment of regular soldiers with green berets (and Austrian StG-AuG rifles if I'm not mistaken) marched past the many spectators on the main shopping street in the inner city of Dublin.

Light battle tanks and armored jeeps followed in the formation. It was slightly unsettling for me to witness such military power from up close ... maybe because this kind of experience was new to me.

Next, a corps of UN soldiers from peacekeeping missions marched by. Ireland took its part in the international missions in Africa ... with small contingents, but nevertheless!

White UN vehicles (also in historical designs) including amphibic vehicles passed next, an interesting sight.

Lastly, an elite squad marched by, with bayonets attached to their rifles. It's interesting to think how complex these weapons are now ... very flexible and light, usable both in ranged and lose combat. However, I would not glorify "the art of war" but rather see it as a sometimes necessary means to attain security and peace.

Let's see what technology will bring in the future: Now they are discussing about autonomous weapon systems, right? Video game developers seem to have been ahead in their imagination, but films such as "Terminator" should give us stuff to think about before considering to use "killer robots".

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