Revisionists have a blind spot about the mandate of republicans

REVISIONISTS are a funny lot. In their view, the 1916 Rising was illegitimate because the rebels had no democratic mandate.

Therefore, presumably if they had had a mandate, the rebellion would have been acceptable. Yet when the ‘rebels’ actually do obtain a democratic mandate, as in 1918, then somehow that’s not acceptable either.

Steven King (December 3) attempts to dismiss the 1918 election on several grounds. First he brings up the issue of the 25 uncontested seats which Sinn Féin obtained.