Heres my tuppenshalfpennyworth. 1. Most Irishmen took the "kings shilling" out of dire poverty. The political views of the enlisted, I would imagine, would have varied from fiercely loyalist to fiercely nationalistic. 2. The Irish government has acknowledged the sacrifice of the fallen in both wars. Theres a memorial park in France set up by the government and the president has been down there. Even the Sinn Fein mayor of Belfast has layed a wreath. So the peace treaty up north although by no means perfect for either side is changing things for the better.