Memorials are an essential aspect of societies remembering and shaping their past. They are physical representations of a society’s historical memory. Memorials are used to satisfy a desire to honor those who suffered and/or died in conflict and is simultaneously a means to examine the past and address contemporary issues. The form and function of the memorial is used to convey meaning. The question is then: who decides the meaning? The answer is that those in power are the ones who will decide the meaning of a specific memorial. Thus, the making of memorials is a highly politicized process that reflects the will of those in power. For Ireland and the First World War, the process of creating memorials has been a messy one. This is because in popular historical memory the Great War has been forgotten in light of the Easter Rising, even though more Irish men died fighting in the Great War than ever died fighting for Ireland’s freedom. The two memorials which will be focused upon is the Irish National War Memorials Garden in Dublin and the Island of Ireland Peace Park in Belgium. (1) (2)
(1)Barslou, Judy, and Victoria Baxter. Stabilization and Reconstruction 5th ser. (2007): 1-24.USIP. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. <https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/srs5.pdf>.