Among those featured in the BBC/RTÉ series ‘Tomb Raider’, presented by Ardal O’Hanlon, was Adolf Mahr (above), a director of the National Museum  and Ireland’s ‘chief Nazi’

Yesterday.

‘Ardal O’Hanlon can only be as good as the script he had to use on his BBC and RTÉ programme, which deals with politics and the quest for racial identity in 1930s Ireland.

‘It is regrettable to see Adolf Mahr, the former director of the National Museum of Ireland, one of the finest European pre-historians of the age and the person mainly responsible for bringing the Harvard archaeological mission to Ireland, dismissed in such an unhistorical way.

‘Mahr was a German-born archaeologist who was appointed keeper of Irish antiquities at the National Museum in 1927. He was promoted to director in the early 1930s.

‘Instead of consistently reminding the viewer of his contemptible Nazi connections, which are to be deplored, Mahr’s cultural role in Ireland and his contribution to the National Museum and Irish archaeology, which were enormous, ought to have been recognised…’

Pat Wallace, former director of the National Museum.

More to Adolf Mahr than ‘Tomb Raider’ documentary suggests (irish Times Letters, )

Meanwhile…

…this morning:

‘Pat Wallace, claims that his 1930s predecessor Adolf Mahr has been dismissed in an “unhistorical way” in a recent television documentary, and that he made a “major contribution to Ireland”

‘Mahr was head of the Nazi Party here. One of his contributions to Ireland was launching a Hitler Youth group at his home in Upper Leeson Street.

‘Dr Wallace states that Mahr being a Nazi was a “terrible mistake” and that it “damaged his life and health”. The Nazi Party damaged the life and health of many millions with the second World War and the Holocaust.

‘It was a disgrace to Ireland that a senior public servant was the chief Nazi in our country.’

Fintan Swanton, Westport, county Mayo

History shows that Adolf Mahr was a fanatical Nazi (irish Times Letters)

Image via Irish newspaper Archive

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25 thoughts on “Our Adolf”

    2. Kin

      He also was tasked in getting the names of every Jew living in Ireland with their addresses so when the Germans invaded the UK ireland of course would be taken over without one murder
      Of course if that would of happened I would never of been born

  3. TenPin Terry

    Was he the second person into the German Embassy to sign the Book of Condolences when Herr Hitler died ?
    De Valera obviously elbowed him out of the way.
    A day of infamy in Irish history only equalled by the years of appalling treatment of the brave Irishmen who returned from the carnage of fighting Nazis in Europe to be greeted as traitors back home.
    Not that any of this is taught in Irish schools.

    https://www.independent.ie/incoming/article35250278.ece/da4bb/AUTOCROP/w620/president006.jpg

      1. TenPin Terry

        That was Chamberlain, the Kissinger of his day.
        Fortunately Winston, the Boris of his day, recognised the threat of appeasement.
        And the rest, as they say, is history.
        Sadly, Ireland still remains in thrall to the Germans. Do they still get first dibs on approving the Irish Budget before it comes to the Dail ?

        2. The Nigel Account

          Still, as signed pieces of paper for Mr Hitler goes, it is the more signficant and best remembered. One could certanily see Boris being the Winston of his day. At Gallipoli.

        3. Mad

          The rest is as they say perpetual slavery as UK has gradually become a vassal state and now actual cats paw of the US/EU.

      2. Kin

        Who gave hitler Czechoslovakia ?
        And when europe went to war Ireland stood neutral and did feck all
        As well as that Irish sailors had no protection from the Irish government
        So when the ships they were on sunk and they were captured many ended up in concentration camps and had no protection under the Geneva convention as prisoners of war

    2. scottser

      it’s like you don’t even try these days, one-trick. 1930’s england was a hotbed of fascism with the BUF claiming 50,000 members at one point:

      Prominent members and supporters
      Despite the short period of its operation the BUF attracted prominent members and supporters. These included:

      William Edward David Allen was previously Unionist Member of Parliament for Belfast West.[35]
      John Beckett was previously Labour Member of Parliament for Peckham.[36]
      Frank Bossard was an officer in the RAF and, after the war, a Soviet spy.[37][38]
      Patrick Boyle, 8th Earl of Glasgow was a member of the House of Lords.
      Malcolm Campbell was a racing motorist and motoring journalist.[39]
      A. K. Chesterton was a journalist.[40]
      Lady Cynthia Curzon (known as ‘Cimmie’) was the second daughter of George Curzon, Lord Curzon of Kedleston, and the wife of Oswald Mosley until her death in 1933.
      Robert Forgan was previously Labour Member of Parliament for West Renfrewshire.[39]
      Major General John Frederick Charles Fuller was a military historian and strategist.[39][41]
      Billy Fullerton was leader of the Billy Boys gang from Glasgow.[42]
      Arthur Gilligan was the captain of the England cricket team.
      Reginald Goodall was an English conductor.[43]
      Group Captain Louis Greig was a British naval surgeon, courtier and intimate of King George VI.[44][45]
      Jeffrey Hamm was a prominent member and later Mosley’s personal secretary.
      Harold Sidney Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere, was the owner of the Daily Mail and a member of the House of Lords.[46]
      Neil Francis Hawkins was leader of the Blackshirts.[39]
      Josslyn Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll, was a member of the House of Lords.[47]
      William Joyce, later nicknamed ‘Lord Haw-Haw’, became naturalized as a German citizen and broadcast pro-Nazi propaganda from German territory.[39]
      Ted “Kid” Lewis was a Jewish boxing champion; he left the party after it became overtly anti-Semitic.[48]
      David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, was a member of the House of Lords. His wife, Lady Redesdale, and two of his daughters were also members:
      Diana Mitford (Lady Mosley, after her marriage to Sir Oswald Mosley in 1936)
      Unity Mitford was an associate of Hitler.
      Tommy Moran was a BUF leader in Derby and later south Wales.
      St John Philby was an explorer, and the father of Kim Philby.
      Sir Alliott Verdon Roe was a pilot and businessman.[39]
      Edward Frederick Langley Russell, 2nd Baron Russell of Liverpool, was a member of the House of Lords.[44][45]
      His wife Lady Russell was also a member.[44][45]
      Edward Russell, 26th Baron de Clifford, was a member of the House of Lords.
      Hastings Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford, was a member of the House of Lords.[49]
      Alexander Raven Thomson was the party’s Director of Public Policy.[39]
      Frank Cyril Tiarks, of German extraction, was a banker, a Director of the Bank of England and a prominent member of the Anglo-German Fellowship.
      His wife, Emmy née Brödermann, was also a member.
      Frederick Toone was the manager of the England cricket team and Yorkshire Cricket Club.
      Henry Williamson was a writer, best known for his 1927 work Tarka the Otter.[50]

      they haven’t gone away you know..

      1. Kin

        And even at that Churchill stood alone in Europe as Russia Italy and nazi Germany controlled the whole of mainland Europe
        Even with all those important people the British stood alone with their empire and some how evacuated hundreds of thousands of troops and gave refuge to those defeated but determined to fight back
        Even then the yanks stayed out until Japan struck and they needed help then of course starlin and hitler had a fall out and the rest is history
        Have to admire the pure stubbornness of Churchill and how the British people faced down the might of the krouts
        You must of been watching too much peaky blinders scottser

    1. Kin

      Terry he was a great DJ but he was a disgusting monster
      And every time he was interviewed he would be teasing the authorities with statements like I was very naughtie with young girls
      And people thought he was joking but he was deadly serious
      He had so much power and was untouchable
      And of course all the ones that knew did nothing
      Even when the first investigation was halted by the CPO headed by none other than sir kier starmer he was untouchable
      And everyone that knew but did nothing failed at being human beings and none of their careers suffered

  7. NM

    Wan’t TenPin Terry booted off ‘Peoples Republic of Cork’ website for being something of a deviant.

  8. Gabby

    Lots of vitriol and sarcol in today’s comments. Cheer up and enjoy the summertime airport queues.

    1. scottser

      ‘sometimes i wonder what i’m a gonna do
      but there ain’t no cure for the summertime queues..’

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