‘The Kaiser is coming!’

Fears of German invasion met with mixed reaction

Cavan, 21 January 1915 - Fears of a German invasion swept across Ireland again this week.

All along the eastern seaboard from Cork to Antrim, residents have been warned by the authorities to be prepared for German raids and, even, invasion.

In case of emergency, people should be ready to immediately head inland and bring with them all cattle, horses, motor cars, bicycles, agricultural implements and other articles that might prove serviceable to the enemy.

Further instructions have been given to destroy all petrol, hay and animal fodder in the event of evacuation.

Criticism

These instructions have been criticised by P.J. O’Neill, the Chairman of Dublin County Council and an extensive farmer at Kinsealy: ‘The notion of advising people if an attack were made to destroy their crops and to send their cattle and what belongings they could remove into the wilderness without accommodation for themselves or their cattle is futile.’

Suggestions that the Germans might be about to invade have also been met with a certain scepticism across the country.

When a meeting of the Dungannon Urban Council debated the proper steps to take in the event of invasion, it was suggested by one member, Alexander Patterson, that watchmen should be appointed to provide some instrument of alarm to people: ‘By having watchmen, the townspeople would not be caught napping in case of invasion.’

His suggestion was greeted with amusement by his colleagues on the council.

At Cavan Quarter Sessions a boy was charged with the larceny of three cattle. He had been told by some men that the Kaiser was coming to Ireland and that he had better hide the cattle from him. At their instigation, the boy was driving the cattle along a backroad when he was intercepted.

[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]