Sir, – John Bruton is concerned about the appropriateness of Army officers speaking in our primary schools about the 1916 Proclamation ("Bruton criticises Army's 1916 centenary school visits", January 23rd).
But the major, so far unanswered, question really is what are the children going to be told about the Proclamation? Will it be presented to them reverentially as a sacred national text enshrining the “principles” and “ideals” of the insurgents? Or will it be critically analysed (by whom?) in context as an important historical document? On reflection, the primary classroom may not, after all, be a suitable place for what must essentially be an adult discussion.
The Proclamation states that “the Irish people ” have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty “in arms . . . six times during the past three hundred years”. This is nothing less than a gross distortion of historical reality, nationalism masquerading as history, projecting a bogus sense of continuity leading up to the Rising. During the coming weeks, on Proclamation Day especially, will this be exposed in detail to our children as the propaganda that it is?
The only authoritative person to clarify these important issues is the relevant Minister, Heather Humphries. – Yours, etc,
JOHN A MURPHY,
Emeritus Professor
of History,
University College Cork.
Sir, – I am perplexed with the lack of understanding shown by John Bruton regarding the use of members of the Defence Forces in visiting primary schools in relation to the 1916 commemorations.
The Irish Defence Forces trace their history back to the foundation of the Irish Volunteers in 1913. The current uniform of the Army still has the initials “IV” on the buttons, representing its origins. Of the more than 2,000 people who took an active part in the 1916 Rising, the majority were members of the Irish Volunteers, so it would be most unusual not to include the Army in as many aspects of the commemorations as possible.
Judging by Mr Bruton’s contribution to the debate, I would not like to see politicians “explaining the Proclamation”, as he suggests. – Yours, etc,
EOIN SWITHIN WALSH,
Mooncoin, Co Kilkenny.