Time to set ourselves free of 1916

It is important for all decent people on this island in both jurisdictions — the Republic, and in Northern Ireland

— who value democracy, who are mindful of the innocent and civilian dead of 1916, and respectful of the rule of law, and also possessed of a hatred of what Voltaire described as: ‘ the infamous thing,’ (tyranny) to respond to the callous impertinence of James Connolly Heron in his letter (1916 sites must be preserved (Apr2, 2013) with the utmost contempt, and furthermore to remind him from inside his ivory Fenian tower of romantic delusion, that the 1916 insurrection was an atrocious crime against the people of Dublin. Just as it was against those entrusted to bring the insane brutality to an end. Chief among the counter-insurgency forces were the Royal Dublin Fusiliers (Irishmen, not Englishmen in Irish caps). These courageous men — though they sustained terrible woundings, and fatalities — were largely instrumental in putting down the insurrection.

Sites relating to 1916 should only be preserved, in order to remind all on this island of the utter futility, and criminal insanity, of terrorist violence, and murder and not as a means of glorifying the unspeakable evil of Fenian fanatics, who professed love of country in their pronouncements, and rhetoric, but in reality only had hatred for their country men, and women, which they expressed through murder, and violence, and in ensuring that the citizens of Dublin would be effective human shields, by garrisoning their positions within heavily populated areas of Dublin, so as to maximize civilian fatalities, and injuries, and protect their own gun-men, and women. 1916 was about the propaganda of the deed, intended to awaken public interest and support for the discredited Fenian Programme.

It might benefit Mr Connolly Heron to take note of page 188, paragraph two of Ferghal McGarry’s: The Rising Ireland: Easter 1916, in which he states: ‘Whatever the circumstances, much of the moral responsibility for the civilian deaths must be attributed to the Military Council’s (IRB) decision to base the insurrection in the densely populated inner-city, a decision which conflicted with their perception of themselves as a conventional military force fighting by conventional means.’ This is a clear indictment of the criminality of the IRB command structure, which of course Mr Connolly Heron does not wish to learn of. But it is a fact which we as democrats, and decent human beings can no longer close our collective minds to.

It is time to set ourselves free of 1916, and remember that Ireland is not Argentina, at its most violent, and tragic periods in her history, but that Ireland is a land in which respect for elective Parliament goes back to the Dublin Parliament of 1197 whose writ covered most of Ireland outside Ulster. This great achievement in an era of brutality, and feudalism, should engender in all of us a profound sense of pride, and not the despicable crime of 1916. Perhaps Mr James Connolly Heron might take this on board — but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Pierce Martin

Willowbrook Grove

Celbridge

Co Kildare