Sir, - Like Michael O'Brien (November 23rd), I had a relative - an uncle - who fought in Spain on behalf of the Republic with the International Brigade; but it was not an obvious choice for a young Irish Catholic in the 1930s. Anti-clericalism was widespread among the Republicans and they racked up an impressive list of atrocities in giving vent to it.
To summarise some of them: 13 diocesan bishops were executed, as were 4,184 diocesan priests, 2,365 regular priests and brothers and 283 religious women; 1,624 churches were totally destroyed; thousands more were partially destroyed, profaned and sacked. These figures are from Bishop Thomas Holland's memoirs, For Better and for Worse (Salford 1989), and he gives his sources. (He is himself severely critical of the ante-Republic regime and of the Church elements which supported its class rule and social injustices).
There were, of course, barbarities on both sides, but many of the young men joining O'Duffy's Irish Brigade believed they were fighting in defence of religion - and not without some cause. - Yours, etc.,
M. O'Flanagan, Glasnevin, Dublin 11.