Frank Coughlan: Anniversary of bloody World War II battle reminds us how much we have to lose

The things we take for granted are invariably the ones we should cherish most. Sometimes it takes something tragic or catastrophic to make us appreciate this. The pandemic was an obvious example.

The simple freedoms that were part of everyday life were taken from us overnight and only returned in parsimonious bundles over a long period – and then only after the vaccines did their job..