Belfast Blitz: Bombings '˜aided reconciliation between north and the south'

Laserian Fallon is a Dublin firefighter of 31 years experience, and was among the guests to speak at the Northern Ireland War Memorial, where he presented the curator with a helmet used by the Dun Laoghaire brigade during the blitz period.

He has done historic research into the southern service, and is responsible for the Dublin brigade’s heritage projects.

“No fire service could have dealt with what Belfast had to deal with,” he said, speaking of the massive April 15/16 raid.

“They needed assistance.”

He estimated that Belfast had perhaps 30 fire engines at the time, and that Ireland had dispatched nine to join them.

“It was the first ‘hands across the border’. the first major engagement between the six county state and the 26 county state really,” he said.

Asked if the mutual aid helped with reconciliation, he said: “I think it did, because it was a recognition at government level of the strength of each others’ governments – from people who’d been at odds with each other, and didn’t really recognise each other to a large extent”.

He also said that it is believed by some that a Nazi raid against Dublin in May, which killed dozens of people, was a reprisal for aiding Belfast.

“It’s thought it was retaliatory; a ‘warning shot’ from the Germans,” he said.

Belfast Blitz VIDEO: Marketplace filled with corpses in scenes ‘defying description’

Belfast Blitz VIDEO: ‘Our home collapsed around us – all we had left were melted coins’

Belfast Blitz: Attacks united city and led to hopes of less sectarianism, says historian

Belfast Blitz: List of 75th anniversary events

Belfast Blitz: Carnage has never been adequately commemorated says councillor

Belfast Blitz: ‘I watched from a hedge as the city burned below me’