Coveney ‘takes issue’ with Bruton’s Easter 1916 Rising comments

Minister for Agriculture and Defence Simon Coveney has taken issue with former Fine Gael leader John Bruton over his comments about the Easter Rising of 1916.

Mr Coveney said he did not believe Mr Bruton was reflecting the views of many in Fine Gael.

Mr Coveney said he shared Mr Bruton’s views on many matters and he believed he had been both a fine Taoiseach and an effective leader of Fine Gae.

But he said Mr Bruton had understated the importance of Easter 1916 in achieving Irish independence.

“Historically, I think we should be accurate and in my view the 1916 Rising contributed significantly to what became Irish independence after a whole series of events - it was a pivotal moment in our journey towards independence,” said Mr Coveney.

Mr Bruton argued that Home Rule for Ireland was put on the statute books 100 years ago last week and it was not going to be reversed, and the use of violence in the Easter Rising was not a genuine last resort and was not justifiable.

But Mr Coveney, who last week tweeted that he believed that “much of John Bruton’s commentary on 1916 was wrong and does not represent the view of Fine Gael supporters”, today stood over his opinion that Mr Bruton’s analysis is neither correct nor representative.

“Clearly, militarily 1916 was not a success but it certainly over time when the people involved in it became martyrs, there was a change in the Irish mindset towards an insistence on independence, which subsequently became a war of independence,” he said.

“That subsequently became independence for 26 counties and a civil war but to suggest that 1916 wasn’t a significant point in Irish history towards the achieving of independence as if to say this would have happened anyway peacefully, is, I think, a misrepresentation of history.

"That is not to denigrate anything John Redmond did or the efforts at achieving a Home Rule Bill over many decades - they were significant efforts and they deserve recognition but there needs to be balance here in terms of covering both - it's not a black and white situation."

Mr Coveney said he did not believe Mr Bruton had recognised “the emotional attachment” many Irish people had to 1916, particularly in relation to its aftermath and how it was handled by the British and that should not be underestimated.

“I think Irish people are very emotionally attached to 1916 as a pivotal point in Irish history and to suggest it wasn’t a significant event towards the achieving of Irish independence, I don’t think is a fair reflection and in many ways denigrates people and families who deserve better.

“I can’t speak for every Fine Gael supporter but I am a Fine Gael minister in Government and I felt there was a narrative out there in the public being described by John which, for many people, was being taken as the Fine Gael narrative on 1916 and I don’t think it is,” he added.

Mr Coveney pointed out that many of the major figures involved in the establishment of Cumman na nGael were central to the decision making around 1916 and the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922 after the War of Independence was directly related to 1916.

He dismissed suggestions made by Mr Bruton recently that the situation facing Ireland in the early part of the 20th century as comparable to that facing Scotland recently as not correct and he pointed to what he said were many significant differences between the two situations.

"In early 20th century Ireland, a huge proportion of the population did not have a vote while the British Empire was a very different structure to the United Kingdom as it currently exists while there was also a different view of violent struggle in the context of World War I," he said.

Mr Coveney said the Government would ensure no political party or grouping will be allowed hijack the Easter Rising commemorations in 2016 for their own political ends but that it would be a truly national commemoration.

"This shouldn't be about political parties, this is about a country commemorating an event, which was a pivotal event in our journey to independence and Fine Gael will be a huge part of that as will Fianna Fáil, as will Sinn Féin as will the Labour Party and many others," he said.

“One of the things that this government is going to insist on is that nobody tries to hijack this commemoration for political reasons ..... - and we will make sure that everyone and all of their perspectives will be reflected in the commemorations that happen in 2016.”