Sir, – The new year is scarcely a week old, and I wonder am I the only one to groan at the grimly predictable squabbling about the legitimacy of the 1916 Rising?
The Rising was clearly quite unjustifiable and the number subsequently executed by the British was amazingly low in the context of the mayhem happening elsewhere and the attitudes of the time. The Rising was led by idealists whose character and motivation would probably compare very favourably with that of world political leaders of the time.
The Rising was a tiny world event compared to the “legitimate” slaughter of the first World War; those who would depict Pearse and his fellow leaders as idiots might bear in mind that the death toll from the Rising was minuscule compared to the carnage of one day on the Somme. Its leaders were well aware that they had no democratic mandate. They saw their mandate in stemming the imminent death of a culture.
There are many layers and contradictions surrounding the Rising. Why not lay aside futile historic speculation and what-iffery and observe it as an historical fact, just as the French treat their far more vicious and bloody revolution?
Indeed, why not engage in debate as to how the many worthy ideals contained in the Proclamation might now be fulfilled? – Yours, etc,
PATRICK DUFFY,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Reassure me that I am not alone in looking forward to ringing in 2017. – Yours, etc,
ALAN MOODY,
Dundrum,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – How many people that you ask would know the date of the 1916 Rising? For such a key episode in our history, it seems very strange that the event has been tied to a religious festival. This means that we are marking the event not only on the wrong date, but the wrong month. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN GLYNN,
Mallow, Co Cork.