The reaction to returning Irish soldiers was significantly influenced by the changes the War had wrought on Irish society. The violent suppression of the Easter Rising and the intended introduction of conscription meant that they came home to a much-changed Ireland that no longer recognised their motives for fighting and was in conflict with the country in whose army they had served. Leonard claims that the ex-servicemen were subject to ‘extremes of intimidation’, that of the estimated 120 ex-servicemen killed by republicans during the Civil War, ‘the vast majority appear to have been killed simply as a retrospective punishment for their service in the Great War’, and that they ‘formed a marginalised and unwelcome group in Irish society’. The reality was more complex and multifaceted. Intimidation generally occurred for reasons other than war service; it was geographically focussed and occurred within a limited time period. After the civil conflict, ex-servicemen were not marginalised by the state or the community. Though perhaps not to the extent of the more unrealistic claims made on it, the imperial power largely fulfilled its obligations, certainly with benefits that compared favourably with their ex-servicemen counterparts in Great Britain, and which were provided despite extenuating circumstances.

Although encouraged to do so, comparatively few ex-servicemen made claims to the IGC for loss or damage and of those who did less than a third claimed that the actions against them were due to war service, even though it was an obvious demonstration of loyalty. In republican strongholds there were cases of IRA intimidation of veterans during the conflict but, in almost all cases, the causes of their intimidation had reasons other than war service per se, and were mostly applicable to other members of the population. Ironically, bogus claimants were the ones most likely to claim persecution due to army service. Given the devastating impact of spies on IRA ranks, extremes of violence were reserved for those who informed.