Reader's Blog: Irish battle for freedom was a true revolution

On February 8, I wrote to the history educational officer and the NCCA history curriculum development unit, regarding Strand 2 Learning Outcome 2.3 of the new Junior Certificate history course, which states: “Explore how the physical force tradition impacted on Irish politics, with particular reference to a pre-twentieth century example of a rebellion”.

My letter/email is as follows: “I am very concerned about the contrast in language used, concerning the American revolutionaries of 1776 and the French revolutionaries of 1789, who were engaged in ‘revolution’, whereas the Irish revolutionaries are stated to be a ‘physical force tradition’ engaged in ‘rebellion’. Many of the American founding fathers of 1776 were slave owners and continued to be so after independence was won. George Washington did not free his own slaves, until his will was enacted after his death, in 1799. The French revolutionaries of 1789 carried out a bloodthirsty reign of terror, which claimed the lives of thousands, yet they are still celebrated.