Poor Captain Nairac. Ampleforth edcated public schoolboy who, like Magnus, read too many tales of derring-do but finally came up against the squalid reality of post colonial conflict in Ireland.

George, Falkirk, Scotland

Eck - After an appeal from the British police investigating "The Ripper" (Sutcliffe) murders. The police appealed for anybody with any info who had witnessed extreme violence to come forward. A soldier came forward and said he had seen two farmers bayoneted in N.I. The RUC had covered it up.

J, Fermanagh, Ireland

Padraig, everyone forgets that England came was created by an invasion from Ireland. The Irish were not allowed to own land until the English gave it to them during the Plantation. 300 years of Irish interference in English affairs. Why do you think a Cambridgeshire yeoman visited Drogheda?

Bill, Belfast, N.I.

Rudyard Kipling's Kim is a good read, about Raj skull-duggery in the Great Game on the North west frontier against the Russians in the 19th Century. I often wonder whether today's Intelligence people in Afghanistan are as good as Kim's handlers were then.

Richard Sarson, Wimbledon, UK

he "picked up a Belfast accent, dressed in an old cap, carried a stick, joined in the craic,"
He carried a stick. Probably typical of the British security apparatus's understanding of Ireland. Did he watch John Wayne movies to learn about Ireland? Nobody was fooled into thinking he was from belfast

Jer, London, U.K

SF & republicans demand (and get) an public enquiry into every terrorist that was killed by the British Army...Yet they dodge all questions about their past and if they wanted peace they should give back his body....but that the price for peace the British government is prepared to pay...

Adrian, aldershot, ENGLAND

everyone forgets that the British invaded the island of Ireland, stole the land of the people, banned our language and starved our people, they gave back 26 counties but still remain in 6 counties, it is a valid war, if 1 country invades another the other shoukld have the right to out the agrressor

Padraig, Mayo, Ireland

Partition was a great success for the south, keeping all ethnic problems on the other side of the border.

Northern Ireland Unionists got to stay British.

Almost all population shift since has been Catholics moving north.

neil, waterford, ireland

to eliza, boston,
if you like ireland that much try living in it. i was born and bred in ireland and am sick of so called 'irish'- americans spouting your uninformed propaganda.

james, doncaster, uk

Eliza from Boston.
Many people where brutally murdered by all sides in Ireland. The IRAs weapons however were paid for by American cowards who help perpetuate the war (a lot from Boston).

relatives of mine lost their youth incarcerated for 'the cause'.
Half Irish, half English, 100% British

Lord cubby, Nottingham, Great Britain

As a Catholic from Belfast I have always felt sorry for the British in Northern Ireland. They were only doing their job and they may not have agreed with the Nationalist or Republican points of view but the IRA did not need to be so Brutal. He was Brave and he serves respect. Rest in Peace.

AM Denvir, Belfast, N. Ireland

I look at some of the comments here from 'armchair' soldiers and wonder why he bothered! We don't deserve such calibre of men anymore and that is very sad indeed for all of us.

Phil Lewis, Colwyn Bay, North Wales

Eliza, "Two farmers killed by pitchforks?" The troubles in N.Ireland were not some American film based on the ideological whimsing and usual american misconception of Irish life that you seem to agree with.We don't all live in thatched cottage's you know. We ALL suffered. Irish and British.

Sarah , Belfast , Northern Ireland.

Nairac was rumbled because he sat in a bar on a stifingly hot day with his jacket on in order to conceal his gun and holster.

Edward, Glasgow, UK

We need to talk about real heroes much more. We need to introduce young people and particularly young men to the ideas of real courage and sacrifice. What it means to be a real man. Big Brother ,chav comsumerism, and celebrity "culture" are mental and moral junk food. Let them study heroes.

April, Huddersfield, UK

Nairac was part of the British 'dirty war' in Ireland which killed quite a lot of nationalists and Catholics and very few active republicans. He died by his own standards.

George, Edinburgh, Scotland

Hubble, I think it is so telling that you haven't heard of the Irish War of Independence- how do you think Ireland became independent of Britain, the British Government acted justly? Get to know your own history

Helen, Glasgow, Scotland

The 'pitchfork incident' refers to an double murder of two Republican farmers who were killed with pitchforks. They were suspected of holding arms for the IRA and there was suspicion that a rebel unit of British soldiers carried out the murder, however, it hasn't ever been resolved as far as I know.

Eck, Edinburgh, Scotland

Our soldiers are heros, yours are foolhardy, his are murderous gangsters.

Kevin Straw, Leciester,

"Rest in peace mate".

Agreed David.

Mike Poulsen, Reading, Berkshire

There are a lot of unanswered questions regarding the actions that Nairac was alleged to have been involved in.Time will tell just what happened during this period.

C Caughey, newcastle, Ireland

I think it only right that this TRUE hero be referred to in future as
Captain Robert Nairac GC.

Rest in peace mate.

David Bratley, Oxford, UK

I have never heard of murder by the Army nor of the pitchfork incident. But it would be interesting to know. Can Eliza enlighten us?

David kay, Hemingford,

Eliza, at the time of partition Britain was fighting a war with Germany. The rebellion as we called it was armed in part by Germany. 100,000 Unionists were said to be under arms and ready to fight a civil war if Britain gave Ireland independence. Partition sad as it was and still is averted that civ

JT, Stortford, UK

I shall never forget the Nairac case as long as I live. In those days, when my wife and I lived in Belfast, you never knew if the next bomb or bullet was for you. Capt Nairac was brave beyond the call of duty. The manner of his dying played a small role in ending "the troubles". It was horrific.

Dr David Green, Athens, Greece

"...the Irish War of Independence..." Hmmm, hadn't heard that expression, but as an Englishman perhaps that is not surprising, however,

"The great tragedy was the partition of Ireland." wrote Eliza, Boston , USA

How right she is. How did ANYONE in Government think that that would work?

Hubble, Evian, France

I read somewhere that Nairac would turn up in Desert Boots for his meetings. He might as well have stuck a G Squadron badge on his forehead.

michael murphy, brightlingsea, england

As an ex-squaddie can I say that one (amongst many) reason
that the British Army is up there with the best is because it has amongst its ranks Officers of the calibre of Capt Nirac.
PS: Not that I was ever an Officer.

Peter Bolt, Redditch, UK

The British spy group 'The Cairo Gang' also 'melded' into Dublin society during the Irish War of Independence, for a period. South Armagh is a close knit rural community wary of outsiders, claiming to be from Belfast or anywhere else.

Richard Vaughan, Belfast, UK

Back in the days of the Raj, Brits were rather good at deep cover intelligence gathering. By contrast, US intergators resort to screaming, "Where's bin Laden?" at the poor saps at Guantanamo sold up the river by the Northern Alliance. Counterproductive? Can be a little hard to find a dead man.

Andrew Milner, Karuizawa, Japan

the IRA were not the only ones with "standards'. Many people were brutally murdered by the Brit, army and their cohorts on Irish soil. I can think of two innocent farmers who were stabbed to death by pitchforks. The great tragedy was the partition of Ireland.

Eliza, Boston , USA

Robert Nairac was a brave and fearless soldier who died for what he believed in like so many who went before and after him,many like lambs to the slaughter but all with a passion for what is right.How sad he would be today to see how the great 'British' public show what little respect they have.

Kenneth O'Boyle, Perth, UK

Apparently he got rumbled when a gun slipped out of his pocket. Live by the sword...

Also was allegedly involved in some dodgy business with GB75 and the Wilson plot...make of that what you will...

Nick Higgs, Leicester,

What a man.

J Nowland, Leeds, United Kingdom